Festive cheer is in short supply this year – modest celebrations and better times to come is all that's keeping us going. But those better times will come and it would be great to be in top shape for your Comeback 10K or Happy Days Half Marathon.

Great Run Solo has been doing a sterling job in recent months – maintaining morale, motivation and fitness levels with its monthly events. Their December test – the Accumulator Challenge is reaching its climax as hundreds of runners around the country are working towards 30, 60 & 100 mile targets.

Now Great Run Solo is inviting runners to raise their ambitions a notch with 35, 70 & 125 mileposts to help put 2020 firmly behind us and start 2021 strong as you mean to go on.  

The Run Away From 2020 themed challenge will start on 1 January and finish on 31 January, making it the perfect training partner for anyone setting themselves an active New Year’s Resolution.

The challenge is to complete 21 activities of any distance in January – it’s a challenge for all abilities that celebrates all activity. Walk, jog, run, or do a mix of everything, it all counts. Complete 21 activities or more and your efforts will be rewarded with a snazzy 2 in 1 medal (it doubles up as a fridge magnet!).

To add extra motivation into the mix, the challenge includes an optional distance element. Depending how far you run over your 13 (or more) runs, you will be rewarded with a bespoke digital finishers certificate to download and share:

• Over the first hurdle – 35 Miles
• Off to a flying start – 70 Miles
• Firing on all cylinders – 125 Miles

With 4 hump days (Wednesdays are notoriously tough!) and Blue Monday to get past, it doesn’t matter how you reach the virtual finish line, as long as you keep moving.

The challenge is now open for entry and closes on Monday 11 January at 10am.  Find out more and enter at the Great Run website.

Image courtesy: Ryan Kwow at Unsplash