Bowood House Duathlon is organised by LPS Events and takes place in the stunning grounds of Bowood House and Gardens situated near Calne in Wiltshire.

Registration

The registration tent is outside of the Bowood House grounds so you head there before you even enter the grounds. You're given all the essentials - race numbers, timing chip, race belt etc - and then you head into the grounds where transition and the race take place. One of the biggest shames about this race is that all spectators must pay to enter the grounds and it isn't cheap at £12.50. Taking your parents along or your partner and a friend would set you back £25. This is clearly stated in all the event emails so it's not a surprise, it's just a little sneaky that you're not even allowed one free spectator per racer. 

The organisation is good but it's a very small event with no food or drink stalls and no entertainment. You can spend time enjoying the house and gardens, but there's not that much to do and on a very cold, rainy October day it's not the most enjoyable way to spend a few hours waiting for your wave to start. 

The Course

A duathlon is a run-bike-run event. Bowood offers a sprint and a super-sprint option for adults as well as 3 children's races from age 9-14. A super-sprint duathlon is a 2.5km run - 10km bike - 2.5km run and this consists of 1 lap for the runs and 4 laps for the bike at Bowood. A sprint duathlon is a 5km run - 20km bike - 5km run.

The run course is all off-road and had I realised I definitely would've worn trail shoes. The surfaces range from grass and mud to gravel paths and the autumn rain made it pretty slippy! The first half of the lap is all downhill which makes for a really fun set-off. You then run through the stunning grounds, past a cascade waterfall and temple and through a small forest. The route is absolutely stunning and it really takes your mind off the pain. The second half of the lap is very much uphill and can be tough on the legs if you're really pushing yourself. 

Before long, you're back to the cheering crowds and into transition. The atmosphere is great - although it's a small event, there are plenty of people to cheer you on and keep you going.

The bike route is all paved and is on closed roads around the grounds. It's quite a technical course with a hairpin bend and some muddy areas where you really need to kill your speed, but again it's beautifully picturesque, taking you past a field full of bleating sheep. You pass the cheering crowds 4 times and there is a professional photographer on one of the bends so plenty of opportunity to show off your bike handling skills!

Then it's back to transition for the final run which is the same lap again. This time you know where the tricky bits are and when to reserve your legs. The course is very unique and stunningly beautiful and makes for a wonderful day out.

Organisation

The race is organised well and the race director gives a very in-depth briefing, going through all the British Triathlon rules so that no one ends up getting disqualified. There are lovely medals for every finisher as well as a t-shirt. Goodie bags are provided by Sundried. There are lots of opportunities for photos and prizes for the winners. There are plenty of indoor toilets so no need to use a portaloo and it's very easy to get to your car at the end.

Overall, this is a great duathlon in a glorious location with a fun, technical, but interesting course.

Kent Coastal Half Marathon is organised by Thanet Runners and sponsored by Kent County Solicitors. It takes place in the seaside town of Margate.

Registration

The organisers state that there is ample parking, and this is definitely true. There is plenty of space to park for free which eliminates one of the stresses of taking part. As you walk towards Palm Bay Primary School where Race HQ is located you can hear the foreboding sound of a monotonous drum beat, making you feel like Jumanji has washed up on a nearby beach. While I thought this was a nice touch, it got a little annoying after a while.

Despite the Race HQ being located in a school, there are only portaloos available for pre-race convenience, although they did eventually let people use the toilets in the school when it was very last minute. Your race number is posted to you before the event so the only thing you need to collect on the day is your chip timer which straps around your ankle. This means that there is plenty of time to stretch, warm up, and do any pre-race rituals before it's time to go.

The race start is across the road on a large grassy area with a pop-up burger bar offering coffee and food for racers and spectators and there are tables and chairs as well. Before you know it, it's time to assemble at the start. There are pacers for the half marathon which is great, so you just find the man with in a high-visibility vest with your desired finish time printed on it and stick to him like glue. 

The Course

This event is a half marathon and a full marathon simultaneously, with both races following the same course to start and then the marathoners continuing once the half marathoners have finished. This does mean there could be a lot of temptation to finish the full marathon at the halfway point if you're struggling. 

The route is advertised as being largely flat, but this could not be further from the truth! The first 3 miles loop around the local Parkrun route and are very gentle. At this point, I was happily rubbing shoulders with the pacer and was taking it very easy. Then the hills came into view.

This is the first hill. It's at least an 8% gradient and meant that I could no longer keep up with my pacer friend. Usually, I don't mind running uphill, as it keeps the course interesting and challenging and it also usually means there is a downhill to come as a reward! However, after powering up this mean hill and using a lot of my energy expecting a downhill section to get my breath back, I was met with more hills! It just kept going up!

After 8 miles I had completely lost the pacer and was struggling to keep going. I have never had a DNF in my life and definitely wasn't going to have one for this race, but as I continued running, wondering when the downhill was going to come, I started to think I might have to walk a bit. I hate to walk while I'm racing and I've never had to do it before, but by mile 10, when the uphill still wasn't relenting, I had to take a break. Considering it's an out-and-back course, I couldn't really fathom how the physics of it worked that I was still going uphill after 10 miles!

By the time the downhill came, my legs were so sore I couldn't even enjoy it! However, now that I've finished complaining about the hills, I can say how fabulous the views were and how amazing the support was. There were more marshals than I've ever seen on a race and there were even people standing outside their houses offering jelly babies to runners which I thought was fantastic. A section of the run went through a fairly busy seafront section, and everyone was cheering us on and being very supportive which was amazing. 

As the finish line finally came into view, I thanked my lucky stars I wasn't continuing with the full marathon course and there was a great reception at the end. A beautiful medal and a free technical t-shirt were the prizes which I thought I had definitely earned after the toughest half marathon I've ever done.

Organisation

This was an exceptionally well-organised event with lots of extra touches making it very special. There were inspirational messages written on signs along the course, such as "Everyone behind you wishes they were as great as you are". All of the main marshals had their job title written on their high-vis vest which meant you knew who everyone was (race director, lead cyclist etc). The race director had a great presence and seemed completely in control of the whole event with a very cool, calm head. They had scouts handing out water and there were plenty of water stations along the route.

It seemed to be a very tight-knit running community with a lot of people knowing each other by name and the marshals cheering people on and chatting away as well. It was a very friendly, supportive atmosphere which was great.

I'd certainly recommend this race, however, do your hill training in preparation and be under no illusion about how tough it is!

Garmin Ride Out is an annual 50-mile bike ride through the beautiful New Forest countryside and is a chance for cycling enthusiasts to ride alongside some of their sporting heroes. As they warm up for the Tour of Britain, professional cyclists from the likes of Madison Genesis and Dimension Data ride the challenging course and share wisdom with their fans.

Registration

The day starts bright and early at 8 am with registration. The ride is a charity event in aid of Action Medical Research who do valuable fundraising work to raise money for medical research to save the lives of vulnerable babies and children. As part of their £35 entry, every rider receives a limited edition Garmin cycling jersey which is fantastic; in fact, I heard that a lot of people enter the race just to receive the jersey and then don't even do the ride! 

After receiving your jersey and race number you also receive a Garmin goody bag filled with treats from partners such as a coffee brand and some bike cleaner. There is a charity raffle as well with some incredible prizes such as a new road bike and a Garmin bundle. Once you've got all your affairs together, it's time for a complimentary breakfast and to assemble in the tent for a Q&A with the professional cyclists.

The Ride

The ride is a 50-mile loop around the country lanes and villages of the beautiful New Forest near Southampton. It is a stunning part of the country with wild ponies, donkeys, and cows freely grazing in the surrounding meadows and casually wandering across the road whenever they like. The scenery transitions from vast open fields to enchanting forests to quaint villages so it is endlessly interesting. There are plenty of cattle grids to watch out for and a handful of busy junctions but other than that it is a smooth ride on very quiet winding roads.

For me, the route was not flat at all. For those on advanced £10,000 bikes it probably felt like a piece of cake, but struggling up 25% gradients on my little Boardman was no mean feat at all! This is definitely a ride for advanced riders only and you really have to have the stamina, endurance, fitness, and strength to manage it. I am in good shape and I have the advantage of youth on my side, and I found it super tough. That said, there were grey-haired gentlemen steaming past me the entire time so I think so long as you are a serious cyclist who is used to long rides you'll be okay!

Organisation

The Ride is an annual event organised by Garmin so it is very well done. Riders set off in groups of around 20 and each group rides with one of the pros. This gives you the chance to chat to your cycling hero and really feel like you're part of the professional team, if only for a day. The mini-expo at the start provides everything you could need for the event from free bike servicing to food and drink and indoor toilets. The route is sign posted well and fellow cyclists are easy to spot in their matching Garmin jerseys in case you do think you've taken a wrong turn. 

There is a rest stop half way (at 25 miles) with a handful of portaloos and food and drink available in the local village hall. There are motorcycle marshalls circulating the route, but there are not many pedestrian marshalls along the way. To be honest, as all the participants are serious cyclists, this isn't necessary anyway so it's fine. 

I was invited to take part in this ride by Garmin to test out the new Edge 1030 bike computer. I will be writing a full review of the device once I have thoroughly tested it, but after using it on this ride I am already very impressed. The tech team from Garmin kindly loaded the route onto the device for me which meant I definitely had no chance of getting lost, and it meant I could see any sharp bends coming in advance which was handy, especially when speeding downhill. 

The Garmin Ride Out is a truly unique experience and is totally unlike any other casual sportif you may take part in. You need to be confident on a bike to take part and the route is definitely not for the faint hearted. If you're a keen cyclist who wishes to meet and ride with your favourite professional cyclists, then this is an event not to be missed!

ISPO Germany is the largest international sports trade fair in the world. Taking place in Munich, the event promises great networking opportunities and the possibility of increasing profitability in your area. 

The exhibition is a 4-day event and showcases all types of sporting products. There is the chance to meet influential people in your market, try new products, and see the newest trends first. There are many areas covered from skiing to health and fitness.