Are you planning a competitive Christmas and/or New Year to feed your need for speed this festive season? If so, it's not too late to enter one or more of the 50 races in the runABC South race listing from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day.

For many of us, the go-to events will be the Saturday parkruns that are taking place on 23 and 30 December, with many also offering additional events on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December) and/or New Year's Day (Monday 1 January 2024) – what better way to usher in the next twelve months than a run with your parkrun friends?

To see if your local – or local to where you are going to be – parkrun is active you can check the parkrun Christmas Day and New Year's Day Compendium here...

If running on Christmas Day or New Year's Day seems like a step too far when there are so many other things going on that require your full attention, why not look to stretch your legs and burn a few calories during that sometimes flat period between that we have come to know as Twixmas?

This writer has entered the British Masters 10-mile Championships on 30 December that will be held with the Buntingford Year End 10 organised by Royston Runners from Freman College, Buntingford. The race also incorporates the Hertfordshire Veterans Road Running County Championships and the marshalls look friendly enough, judging by our photo above!

A closer look at the Twixmas period shows plenty of options to try out those new racers or a last-gasp tilt at a PB before the year ends. If you are looking to complete one more marathon, or perhaps just one marathon, in 2023 your wish can come true courtesy of Phoenix Running who have their Year End Marathon and Half Marathon at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey on Thursday 28 December. There is also the Frozen Phoenix Marathon (and other events from 5K to Ultra) on Friday 29 December and the same distances are on offer in the Phoenix Winter Runderland on Saturday 30 December.

On New Year's Eve the Saxons, Vikings and Normans will celebrate their 666th event with the SVN 666 Marathon (and other distances from 5 miles to Ultra) at Gravesend Cyclopark Complex in Kent. This is a six-hour timed challenge held on laps of 5.25 miles on trails, bike paths, and some tarmac.

Whatever your chosen distance or event, remember to check the runABC South race listing or use the useful My Next Race tool on the runABC website.

Photo of Buntingford Year End 10 marshalls courtesy of Royston Runners