If the idea of office parties, boozy dinners and Yuletide excess is starting to make you sweat, here are a few more active options.
1Brutal10 - Frith Hill
Pit your wits against an army training camp to burn off all that Christmas pudding.
If the week between Christmas and new year gets too much and you're desperate for a break from the family, now is the time to sign up to a vigorous hill race. A choice of one or two laps of an undulating 8K course taking in an abundance of hill climbing, twisting sand dunes and even a few water features, the Brutal 10 Longmoor Camp promises to be tough, but still beats an afternoon with the mother-in-law.
Date
Location
Frith Hill, Camberley, Surrey
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2Liverbird Double Day Marathon 1
2 Marathons in 2 days to see out the old and bring in the new.
You do have the options to do either one or the other of these, but the real fun is in doing the double. It's up to you how much you drink on New Years Eve, or if you even go to bed at all!
A New Year's Day trail race to get your knackers into
Voted Britain's best trail race in 2012 and 2013 by Runner's World magazine, with 475m of ascent and descent and four ruddy great hills along frosty tracks and pathways to deal with, this hilly 10K is probably one of the toughest races in Britain, and will definitely start the New Year off with a bang.
An ice cold Scottish New Year's Day dip to remember.
A tradition handed down from the fisher folk, revellers have been braving the icy cold harbour of Broughty Ferry on New Year's Day since as far back as 1891. Rumour has it the event has never once been cancelled and eager swimmers have been known to break the ice with a pickaxe to complete the swim. Bring your toolbox and a hearty sense of willing. It's going to be cold but fun.
Date
Location
Broughty Ferry, nr Dundee
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5The Frozen Devil MTB
Leg burning trail riding in set in the wild and beautiful Cambrian mountains.
The route steps up the technical challenges with gorgeous single track, long flowing downhills, root infested technical tracks, bedrock – everything a good mountain bike route should have.
Date
Location
Abergwesyn, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys
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6Brutal Bear Cold Swim Series (1)
A freezing cold swim to bring our your inner bear
One for the brave, this brand new race series promises to separate the bears from the wimps with three brutally cold monthly events starting in January on Southbourne Beach. With distance options from 30, 60, 120, 240 to 480m, this frosty dip will certainly put hairs on your chest. Featuring separate categories for swimmers brave enough to forgo wetsuits and temperatures dipping to 6 degrees in the sea, it promises to be a brutally fun day out, so sign up and show the sea who's boss.
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