With Storm Bert wreaking havoc across Britain last weekend; long, dark evenings and chilly mornings affecting our training plans, plus general winter lethargy threatening to overtake us, we thought it was time to whisk you away to the sun-filled days of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus for our report of the 2024 Leptos Cyprus International 4-Day Challenge.

Arena Sports in Cyprus and Farnborough-based 2:09 Events – run by the 1983 London Marathon champion Mike Gratton, whose winning time is now in the company name – are joint organisers of this well-established, four-day race series that covers just over a marathon.

The popular 5-star Coral Beach Hotel & Resort in Coral Bay is Race HQ and provides accommodation for many UK and overseas visitors. This year's events ran from 21-24 November with more than 250 participants, and 203 completing all four races.

The Leptos Cyprus International Challenge format comprises the Coral Beach 6K Time Trial from the event base at Coral Bay; the Akamas 11K Hill Run near Avakas Gorge in the Akamas Nature Reserve; the Akamas Half Marathon multi-terrain race from St Minas Church in Neo Chorio village, and the Paphos City 10K road race from Paphos Castle, followed by a Gala Dinner and Challenge Awards Ceremony at the Coral Bay Hotel and Resort.

The overall winners after four days of racing in temperatures above 20C were defending champion Tom Adams (UK, unattached) in 2:54:18 and Charlotte Preece (UK, Royal Logistic Corps) in 3:53:12.

Adams was unbeaten until the final 10K race in Paphos which was won by last year's 10K champion Dean Williamson (Air Assault Support Regiment, 32:21) by two seconds from Adams.

Preece also won three of her four races, but gave away 94 seconds to the 11K Hill Run winner Louise Blizzard on day two, before finishing strongly in the deciding 10K road race in Paphos.

Further information is available at Leptos Cyprus International 4-Day Challenge here.   

Detailed results are available at the runABC race listing here.

Photo of Jessica van Eeten (Netherlands) competing in the 6K Time Trial courtesy of Leptos Cyprus International 4-Day Challenge