Great runs to do in July. Get out there! Start List
Our selection of the best, fastest, toughest, quirkiest and most enjoyable UK races this month
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Dorstone Dawdle 10K
The rolling Herefordshire hills and self-deprecating name might make the Dorstone Dawdle sound like a doddle. Don’t be fooled: it’s anything but. There are a couple of energysapping climbs and a mixture of road, trail and grass on this 10K circuit, but a barbecue awaits finishers and supporters when it’s all over. Dorstone, Herefordshire, July 7, dorstone.org.uk
The Toss O’coin
On a hilly six-miler, would you rather get the climbs out of the way early on, or save them until closer to the end? Or would you prefer to leave your fate to the toss of a coin? That’s exactly what happens on this clockwise or anticlockwise loop around The Toss O’coin pub – so the good news is that after the randomness of the coin toss, you will definitely end up at a pub. Near New Mill, Yorkshire, July 14, trailandroadseries.co.uk
Run the Blades
Ah, the wind. When it’s on your side, PBS lie in pieces at your all-conquering feet and all is right with the world. But when it’s against you…that’s when you know what true suffering is. Perhaps we all need to learn how to live with the wind and its vagaries, and there’s surely no better place to practise than on the UK’S largest onshore wind farm. Run beneath the majestic wind turbines for 10K, a half marathon or a 50km ultra, and if the wind turns against you, at least the beautiful East Renfrewshire scenery will distract you from the pain. Near Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, July 19-20, breakingstrain.co.uk
The Timberhonger 10K returns for its 17th year as part of the Bromsgrove Carnival weekend. Local charities are the main beneficiaries of a weekend of fun that includes a parade. The run takes place away from the crowds on Timberhonger Lane and those who survive its infamous hill are rewarded with a medal and a bottle of beer. Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, July 13, timberhonger10k.co.uk