Category Archives: City Trail Running
Race to the stones 100k – Virtually
On July 6th 2020 Accelerate community member Simon headed out what can only be described as a monumental challenge both physically and mentally. Keep reading to hear what crazy feat he attempted. The alarm goes off and I rush to silence it because I don’t want to wake my wife up: not at this hour. I creep through to the bathroom where I find my running kit piled in the corner ready for me and then I make my way downstairs to grab a quick bite to eat. I unlock the front door and in the porch I pull … Continue reading
New Beginnings…
Blog. First one in ages. Yonks, you might say. But here it is. New style. Short blogs. I’ve been getting fat. Lazy. Unfit. I just accepted an invitation to join a friend and his mate on next year’s High Peak Marathon, so, y’know….. TRAINING! Gotta get busy with at least 30 minutes a day, 6 days per week. Gentle at first for sure. But it’s gonna have to get serious in time, because come March 2018 – 40-odd miles of up/down with thick filth and bog, covered in fog (potentially) and a dash of sideways rain/snow. At night. So … Continue reading
Round Sheffield Run (RSR) Race Report.
The Sheffield Round Walk is a picturesque 14 mile walk situated in the South West of the City. In 2014, by coincidence, a couple of different event organisers developed the idea to use the route for a running race. One was Trail Rush by Ourea Events (of Dragon’s Back fame), the other was Round Sheffield Run (RSR), from the more locally based Kandoo Events, headed by a Mr. Doug Banks. There was one main difference between the two. ‘Trail Rush’ had runners competing over the 14 mile route in its entirety, non-stop. RSR offered a format ‘borrowed’ from cycling … Continue reading
Photo Shoot with ‘The Outdoor City’…
The end of 2016 saw the formation of #TeamAccelerateInov8, all part of the existing Team Accelerate. The five of us are young athletes who share a love of fell running and a desire to perform well at a high level. Coached by Stuart Hale we are working on technique, strength and stability and race fitness as well as having a lot of laughs in the process! We are lucky enough to be supported not only by Stuart and Team Accelerate but also by top fell running brand Inov8 who provide us with some fantastic kit. As part of this support, … Continue reading
Running as Community
Back in 2009 I started a running club, the Porter Valley Plodders. The ‘why’ is a long story for another time. Up until then I had been a fairly solitary soul when it came to training and racing, preferring my own company on the fells week in week out. However the evolution of the PVPs altered my perception on such things, and introduced to me the concept of the running community. We had a disparate collection of individuals from every single walk of life. Occupations, backgrounds, ethnicities, abilities, lifestyles, aspirations; a mixed bag apart from one common denominator. We all … Continue reading
How to run to work.
Before I share a few tips on making your run to work routine convenient and effective, there are a few basic factors to consider if you’ve never run to work before. Many of these suggestions are ‘common sense’, so forgive me if they seem obvious, but sometimes it’s the little or simple things that get overlooked. Firstly – do you live far enough from work that a run seems worth the effort? If you’re less than 2 miles from where you work, I’d consider walking – or going for a longer run that eventually leads to work. Almost … Continue reading
Trail Rush Race Report – 1 week on.
Hi all, As you may be aware, I ran the Trail Rush race just over a week ago – now in its second year. Good race. Great course. Brilliantly organised. I had a ton of fun. Here’s my summing up of how it went. Just a few days prior, fellow Team Accelerate runner Dot Kesterton had asked me what I might be planning to eat while racing, to which I shrugged – as I usually wouldn’t bother with food for 15 miles, so long as I was fed beforehand and had something waiting for me at the end. Same … Continue reading
A trail that’s well worth the rush.
Seems like only this time last year I was running round the inaugural Trail Rush race. In actual fact that was in July, with this year’s race having jumped forward to the 24th of May – with it bringing what should be cooler weather. Accelerate are proud to once again sponsor this event and for me, this route is hard to beat. Genuinely challenging for those who want to run fast, but incredibly rewarding for fans of picturesque urban trail. Here then, is a recap of the race – with updates here or there from memory (and last year’s … Continue reading
Urban Legend
We’ve the Salomon City Trail in a matter of days(7th June) and it got me thinking…. What is City Trail? Turns out it’s nothing new. I live in Sheffield, Hillsborough to be precise and not very far from the Rivelin Valley. Ideal running opportunity. The blend of road, trail and steep sided valley – leading straight out into the Peak National Park if you fancy a solid hour there/hour back. It’s perfect for a quick dash from door to trail and back again. There are tarmac sections, leading to leafy tree lined roads with winding dirt tracks that snake … Continue reading
Testing Times…
We would all love to be kit, gear and footwear testers, wouldn’t we? The opportunity to check out the latest running gadget or pair of shoes does not always coming along that often. Yet, the opportunity to do so with other like minded folk makes for a better experience as ideas are shared, thoughts and impressions are openly expressed and debated. What worked for one and didn’t for another is always cause enough for a good debate on a pair of ‘runners’ or ‘treads’. I have to say, for me, bring it on. I know what I like yet I believe, … Continue reading
Accelerate UK: Sheffield and the Peak's Largest dedicated Running Store Road Running, Fell and Trail, along with Adventure Racing are all covered in store. A wide choice of product is backed up with an unprecedented level of experience and running knowledge. At Accelerate we love our running, we would suggest it shows.