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NEW for 2021!  Has lock-down given you the appetite for adventure? Maybe you’re looking for a new challenge in 2021? If so, here at Sports Tours International we have just the thing. Gravel Epic. This event series does exactly what it says on the tin, and so much more! Brought to you by the Haute Route Group, experts in multi day cycle challenges since 2011, the Gravel Epic series promises an incredible off road cycling adventure. Grave Epic 2021 brings you 2 events in totally contrasting and incredible locations. This is a challenging and unique race experience with second to none race services. When you race with the Haute Route Group, you’re getting as close to the pro rider experience as it is possible to be! Join is for an Epic Gravel adventure with Gravel Epic! The Gravel Epic race series takes you to two, totally different, but equally incredible locations. Gravel Epic Switzerland  Gravel Epic Switzerland will introduce you to alpine gravel racing at its finest!...

Here at Sports Tours International we are immensely proud to be the official active holiday partner for England Athletics . In conjunction with  England Athletics , we want to help you prepare for your race with a few extra training tips. Whilst there are hundreds of training plans and tips out there, we want to bring you the best, and, as such have enlisted the advice of England Athletics and their experienced coaching team. Over the next few weeks we will be publishing four articles as part of our new “Training advice from England Athletics” series, which will provide you with invaluable advice, and training tips from Spencer Duval, who is the National Endurance Lead Coach for England Athletics. Up first, Issue 1 the training tips to help you prepare for your race…So, over to you Spencer.     Issue 1. The training tips to help you prepare. You’ve booked your trip, congratulations, the next step now is to start your training, and to prepare your body and mind for y...

Sports Tours International has a team of expert mechanics on hand to help our clients out when they need it most. From a simple puncture repair, to a major breakdown; their job is get you back on the road as quickly as possible. We caught up with Roy Pearson, a skilled mechanic and veteran of dozens of Sports Tours International trips, to find out more about the work he does and some of the more unusual jobs he’s encountered! BUT FIRST, A BIT MORE ABOUT ROY… Roy built his experience servicing hundreds of bikes at Ribble Cycles and Dolan Bikes, building countless wheels at Hewitt Cycles, and survived Pro Cycling, without much sleep, at the Tour of Britain, when he worked for the United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team. As well as working as a mechanic, Roy is also one of our expert guides and has himself raced at an elite level. Not so long ago, he was in the same race as the Yates Brothers. So, when Simon Yates rode away from the entire GC, to the surprise of the world’s media, at the 20...

The Haute Route is well known as one of the toughest, most challenging cycling experiences, available to amateur cyclists. Equally the Haute Route Concept is centred around ‘delivering an unparalleled ‘professional’ experience for amateur cyclists’, in short, if you want to know what life is like in the mountains, for the professional peloton, then Haute Route is the way to go! Here at Sports Tours International, we’ve been working with the Haute Route since their very first edition in 2011. In that time we’ve built up a great knowledge of what we can do to support hundreds of cyclists, as they take on these iconic multi-day cycling events. From providing ideally located hotels, to guaranteed race entries and rider support from our experienced team; we know how to help you get the most out of your trip. In this blog, we catch up with a Haute Route veteran and a former Sports Tours International rider, who is now a Sports Tours International cycling rep, Chris Breckon. His insight...

They say to truly understand someone, you should first walk a mile in their shoes. But for some people, a mile is not nearly enough. Especially for someone who covered as many miles in their lifetime as did Dr. Ron Hill. In a life marked by worlds bests and incredible achievements ‘Dr Ron’ completed a staggering 115 marathons (with 112 of them coming in under 2hrs 50). He clocked the second fastest marathon in history at 2:09:28, in a performance that won him gold at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. He was also a World Record breaker, on the track, at 10 miles, 15 miles, and 25 kilometres and on the road over the 20-mile distance. In 1969 Hill won the European Championships over marathon distance, on an iconic course between Marathon and Athens. Later, in 1970, Hill became the first Brit to win at the iconic Boston Marathon. Despite terrible, cold and wet conditions, with fierce headwinds, he was able to claim victory in an incredible 2:10:30, taking, in the process, more than 3 m...

In any sport there are records. Ground breaking, landmark times or distances that were once considered impossible to beat. The world of running has been watching records fall and boundaries being broken for decades. From Roger Bannister’s 4 minute mile in 1965, to Eliud Kipchoge’s Inneos 1:59 Challenge less than 2 years ago. Record breaking runs like this inspire us. Give us the motivation to keep training and striving to improve. Make us want to get out there, and pit ourselves against the fastest courses in the world…. And, just in case you want to do exactly that, here’s our list of the current World Record Breaking Courses! 1. Women’s Half Marathon – Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon  (United Arab Emirates)  Record Time: 1:04:31 by Ababel Yeshaneh ( February  21,  2020)  Previous Record: 1:04:51, by Joyciline Jepkosgei (Valencia, October 22,  2017) This relatively new race, established in 2007, has already gained a reputation a...

This week, we’re all about the beautiful city of Berlin. The German capital is a European tourist hotspot, buzzing with history, culture and more. It is an undeniable bucket-list destination for any keen traveller. And, what’s more, it’s home to some of the greatest running races on the planet, the world record breaking BMW Berlin Marathon and the Generali Berlin Half . A half marathon offers the perfect sightseeing/ running balance for anyone wanting to enjoy an active city break.  The Generali Berlin Half Marathon takes runners through the heart of one of Europe’s major and most historic cities. Sports Tours International’s well placed hotels mean that, while you’re there, you’ll be in the perfect position to discover the best of the city in your down time too. In addition to helping our customers experience the active holiday of a lifetime, many of our team enjoy lacing up their own trainers and experiencing the world’s best races for themselves. This makes them uniquely qua...

City of media, politics, culture, science, and of course sport; there is so much to see and do on a short break in Berlin, it can be hard to know where to start. Obviously the Generali Berlin Half and BMW Berlin Marathon are top of OUR list for the German Capital. But, if you’re not sure what to do with rest of your break, then look no further. Here’s our top 5 tips for unmissable Berlin experiences! 1. The Brandenburg Gate  Perhaps the most recognisable structire in Germany, this iconic 18th-century monument dates all the way back to 1788. Standing on the site of a former city gate, marking the start of the road between Berlin and Brandenburg an der Havel, the gate has seen many major historical events in its long lifetime. In recent years the gate has been a symbol of hope, unity and peace throughout Germany. Although the gate survived the mass destruction of WW2, it was badly damaged. The columns were riddled with bullet holes and only one of the horse’s head from the orig...

Racing is back! The 8 th of May saw the return of the legendary Grand Tours of cycling as the Giro d’ Italia (the first tour of the year) got underway in Turin. Today, after the first rest day of the tour, we look back at some of the highlights so far.   Stage 1 – ITT – Turin – Turin, 8.6km. The 2021 Giro d’ Italia opened with the first Grande Partenza in Turin since 2011. In 2011 the event was celebrating the 150 th anniversary of the unification of Italy (which took place after the new Italian parliament met in Turin for the first time). In 2021, for the 160 th Anniversary, the route of the 8.6 km individual time trial took place entirely within the historic city. Although a pan flat course, the twists and turns through the city, were sure to create some drama. Local, and pre stage favourite, Filippo Ganna of team Inneos Grenadiers was victorious on the day, posting a stunning time of 8:47 (almost 60km/h average speed) to claim the first Maglia Rosa of the tour. It was...