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At Sports Tours International we are about quality and value for money. We’re known for the best selection of events across running and cycling events and active leisure holidays. Virtually all hotels that we offer on our events are 4 star now, our customer feedback scores are consistently over 90% and we have a very high customer return rate. We find that once someone has been on one of our tours, they will book again and again. A big part of our success is that we keep a very close eye on everything that is going on in our market so we keep on offering what our customers want. So what does 2018 have in store for the sports participation travel market? Below is what we think. The world gets smaller in March 2018 In 2018 a non-stop flight to Australia will become reality thanks to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The 17-hour flight from London to Perth will start services in March 2018. These new aircraft are a great choice for traveling athletes as they ensure that you arrive in better sh

Il Lombardia is the final Monument of the year and since last year this great event has its own Gran Fondo so amateur riders can take on the route the day after watching the Pros. There was a Gran Fondo called Gran Fondo Guanella previously which took place in the same weekend but now there is a proper Gran Fondo Lombardia organised by RCS, the Giro d’Italia organisers and also organisers of ‘Il Lombardia’ Sports Tours International is an official travel partner of the 2018 Gran Fondo Lombardia. You can’t beat the excitement of a bike race, either as a cyclist or as a spectator. We offer a fantastic selection of exclusive hospitality access and VIP experiences on the 3 Grand Tours, the 5 Monuments of Cycling and some of the other big races on the 2018 UCI WorldTour cycling calendar. The biggest events on the professional cycling calendar are the 3 Grand Tours and the 5 Mounuments: The 3 Grand Tours  – 3 week multi-day tours;  Giro d’Italia ,  Tour de France ,  Vuelta a Espana The

  Today we are very proud to have confirmed that professional Team GB and England boxer Stacey Copeland will be joining our team as our first ever Community Ambassador. The three-time national champion Stacey, from Hyde, Tameside, joins Olympic Gold medallist Joanna Rowsell-Shand and running legend Ron Hill MBE as an ambassador for Sports Tours International. Commenting on her new role, Stacey said:  “I’m delighted to be an ambassador for a company which represents so many of the values which are close to my heart. I’m passionate about encouraging people to be active because of the positive impact it has on our overall wellbeing, and I know the difference it can make not only on individuals but also on whole communities. For me personally, sport has been an incredible force in my life, I hope to inspire others so that they can experience that, too!” As part of her role Stacey will be supporting a number of UK events, including competing in the iconic Tour of Tameside running eve

The route of the 2018 Paris – Roubaix has been announced. The route of the 2018 edition of the Queen of the Classics, with a total length of 257 km, offers a significant amount of racing across the cobbles with 54.5 km spread over 29 sectors. During the parade preceding the departure of Compiègne, the peloton will pass through the Glade of the Armistice which is the French national and war memorial in the Forest of Compiègne. It was built at the location where in 1918 the Germans signed the armistice on November 11, 1918 that ended World War I. A brand new stretch will be introduced to the route in the Cambresis but the usual difficulties are the Trouee d’Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle and finally the Carrefour de l’Arbre … where the traditional finish at the Velodrome of Roubaix is almost in sight! The sector of Saint-Python is back on the course after a year off, but will be done in the opposite direction compared to 2016. The 1500m long section between Saint-Hilaire and Saint-Vaast will

To celebrate the love of running this Valentines we have gathered peoples #lovetorun stories to share with you. Have a read through & be sure to share your #lovetorun comments with us in the comment box! Kirsty Longley – Regular runner at Sports Tours International UK running events, female first place winner of the Tour of Tameside, plus top 3 female category winner of the UKFast We Love Manchester 10k & the UKFast City of Salford 10k. “I run because I can. Because when I do, there’s always the chance to be extraordinary. A chance to start unknown and to finish unforgettable. A chance to overcome all obstacles, to fight through pain and suffering to test your emotional limits and boundaries, to experiment with the potential of the human body and discover just how far you can push yourself. And a chance to feel like a completely different person, a person who inspires others, and who they strive to be. I also run as I love to be parts of terrific events like Sport Tours. T

Welcome to the first of a five month series of articles supporting you in your training and preparation for L’Etape du Tour 2018. Over the forthcoming months we will guide you through your training, whether this is your first time and you are just looking to complete with a smile, or you are chasing a finish time. We will cover everything from training, bike mechanics, through to psychology and nutrition. The 2018 L’Etape du Tour If you are reading this you have either entered or are thinking of entering one of the greatest rides of your life. While the rewards will be huge, be under no illusion, the work required to get there will be just as big. So this first article is to lay some groundwork as to what is required and ensure you and your bike are ready for the challenges ahead. The 2018 Etape du Tour will start in the stunning lakeside location of Annecy and the finish comes 169km and 4100m of climbing later at the ski resort of Le Grand Bornand. Featuring no less than 4 catego

  Sports Tours International, the UK’s largest independent sports tour operator and owners of the We Love Manchester 10k, City of Salford 10k, Alder Hey 10k and Tour of Tameside races will be bringing the cities biggest 10k back to Preston on Sunday September 30th! Formerly known at the Run Preston 10k, the City of Preston 10k will start and finish in the centre of the city around the Guild Hall and Flag Market area, following a similar route to 2017. UK Events Manager for Sports Tours International, Kevin Harmer said; “We are delighted to have added the City of Preston 10k to our ever growing event portfolio in the North West. The race is extremely important within the city and with our expertise in delivering a number of successful mass participation running events and our additional reach to running customers outside of Preston, it’s sure to be a great spectacle for everyone involved”. Councillor Peter Kelly, Cabinet member for Culture and Leisure, said; “I’m delighted that

Everybody who has been on a long haul flight before knows that sitting still within a confined space at 30,000ft of altitude can cause some physical discomforts. You have looked forward to your international Marathon for ages so you don’t want the small matter of your travel over to your destination to spoil your experience. At Sports Tours International, we work with Virgin Airways and with British Airways to provide flight inclusive travel packages to the Boston Marathon, the Tokyo Marathon and the New York City Marathon. Our overseas Marathon team have welcomed and assisted many runners in the past so here are some of their tips to arrive fit and healthy. Spending all that time in a pressurised environment has the same effect on your body as being at altitude for hours at a time which can cause oxygen levels in your body to significantly drop and your body’s hydration levels may also be affected which is not great ahead of running a Marathon. Below are a few tips on how to arrive

Sports Tours International ambassador Dr Ron Hill MBE is an absolute running legend. If there’s one person who should know the top marathon experience, it’s Ron Hill. Ron has run over 100 marathons, winning some of the very top marathons in the World including Boston and Athens. We asked Dr Ron Hill MBE, legendary marathon runner, for his recommendations of the top events to run in and Ron has been kind enough to give us some marathon running tips and advice. Ron’s advice….. Build up your running distances slowly and steady Always tell someone your running route….just in case! Wear the right clothing for the conditions Wear high viz if at all any darkness Listen to your body, if its tired then have a break – doing too much can be detrimental Listen to your body, drink when you’re thirsty. Just drinking lots for the sake of it can really disrupt your running Prepare your mind, have a rough goal (time) and try and stick to it, and maybe use a stopwatch feature on your watch En

With Six Marathons forming the series this is the ultimate challenge for those who want to experience an amazing achievement in fascinating cities. The Abbott World Marathon Majors include: Tokyo Marathon, Virgin Money London Marathon, The Boston Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon and the New York City Marathon. With the exception of the London Marathon where we act as global partner to distribute entries to tour operators worldwide, Sports Tours International has guaranteed entry to all Marathon Majors for those requiring individual entries. You can find a list of our World Marathon Majors packages here.  If you would like to know a little more about the World Marathon Majors, take a look at our ‘look into the majors’ guide below: Tokyo – The newcomer on the Marathon block In 2013, Tokyo joined as a sixth race to the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Unlike the other five marathons in the World Marathon Majors, Tokyo Marathon started as a massive race from its very first yea