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The Sierre – Zinal will return on  Saturday 7 August, 2021. It will be the 48th edition of this iconic  race. One of the world’s most scenic mountain running trails, Sierre-Zinal has been hailed as the “New York Marathon” of mountain races. It is also the oldest of the kind in Europe. Known as the “Race of the Five 4000m Peaks”, Sierre-Zinal takes runners on a Swiss Alpine journey along a daunting 31 km mountain trail. On the way, runners face a 2200 meter elevation gain and a 1100 meter vertical drop. The ingredients that lead to Sierre-Zinal’s enduring success are the stunning scenery, the warm and genial atmosphere, and the overall superb organization of the event. It stands out among the world’s most famous mountain race for good reason! “As a mountain racer you must experience the tradition and history of this race.” Jonathan Wyatt, a record holder of Sierre-Zinal, the Jungfrau Marathon, and many other world-famous races. Book your place now at the 2021 Sierre Zinal. We

We all know France as the world’s cultural heartland of the wine industry. A variety of French regions produce excellent wines. Due to its individual geography each wine region produces wine with a different character, taste and colour. What’s on every wine producer’s front of mind is ‘Terroir’. This French word sums up the essence of a wine and how it’s achieved by a mixture of the wine grower’s experience and passion, local weather, growing conditions and the soil that the wine grows in. The name and the region are strictly regulated to ensure that every wine has to conform to certain standard to be called Champagne, Bourgogne or Saint Emilion for example. Here we have highlighted some of the most important French wine regions and how they are linked to another one of France’s most famous exports; the Tour de France. Loire The Loire Valley is located about 200 kilometres south of Paris. It is best known for the hundreds of chateaux that were built for the royalty and aristocracy o

Here at Sports Tours International, we’re looking ahead to the future and feeling positive about good times returning. The days are getting longer, the vaccine is being rolled out, and the incredible efforts of the heroes in the NHS mean that, increasingly, there’s hope for good times to return. We’re getting ready to start making new memories. We can’t wait to get back to our tours. But, in the meantime, we wanted to share some positive vibes and happy memories. We asked, on our social channels, for people to send in one photo of them running, cycling or taking part in a triathlon that instantly makes them happy. Well, it’s fair to say we had a fantastic response. Here’s a few below. We’ve also thrown in a few of our team’s positive vibe photos. Some of our team wanted to take this opportunity to share some of their most treasured sporting memories with you too…  Paul, a member of our marketing team, sent us these pictures. “The first picture is me after climbing the Col du

Though the specifics of the legend may vary, it is generally accepted that the name of the marathon originates from the story of Philippides. He was an ancient Greek herald. It is said that he ran from Marathon to Sparta (around 150 miles), to request military aid when the Persians landed, and then ran back to the battlefield (another 150 miles). After the battle, in which he had been a combatant, it is said, he ran a further 25 miles, from the battle near Marathon, to Athens , to announce Greek victory in what would become known as the Battle of Marathon (490 BC). His last words were “we have won”. One final announcement, before he collapsed from exhaustion and died. So, that might seem a little extreme, but twenty-six and a bit miles is still a pretty long way. Especially when you’re running it. Every runner has their own story. Personal reasons and unique motivations motivations. Their own road to the start line. That means, whether you’re an elite athlete, seasoned club runner,

“My wife and I have been very well supported by Sports Tours International for our cycling training and amateur multistage racing for many years.  Their cycling and administration teams are brilliant, efficient, friendly and above all professional.  They are hugely experienced and care for every member of the sports group regardless of ability or fitness.  Before finding STI, we used various sport companies for our overseas training and competition needs, and it is safe to say that Sports Tours International are the best by far – we have never looked back!” How we First met Tauny and Debbie  We first met Tauny and Debbie when they were riding at Haute Route Alps in 2014. Although they were not Sports Tours International customers at the time, that didn’t stop our team from looking out for them, and all the riders, as they faced some of the worst conditions in Haute Route history. After they returned, they shared their story… My wife Debbie and I would like to pass on our huge than

New Year always feels like a fresh start. It is a great time to take stock and make positive changes, and challenge ourselves. Among the most popular New Year’s Resolutions goals are those centred around fitness and weight management outcomes. However, these  can be tough to achieve, especially in harsh winter weather, and with busy new year schedules to contend with. Research has demonstrated that less than 10% of people who set a New Year’s Resolution stick to it. Indeed, multi- sport platform STRAVA even coined the name ‘Quitters’ Day’ for January 19, as this was that day that they notice post New Year activity spikes start to drop. So, to help you beat the odds and turn you New Year Fitness Resolution into a lifelong change, here’s our simple, 3 step guide… 1. Don’t make resolutions, form habits. It has been demonstrated that habit forming can begin as little as 18 days after a person adopts a new behaviour.  66 days is the average time it takes for a new habit to become ‘auto