You'd be mad not to consider this popular north west 10K, it's always a sell-out though - so be quick to bag your spot at the Mad Dog 10K - Southport's springtime canine classic! In 2024, the event will be staged on 4 February, so a little earlier than this year's edition.

Throughout its 12 year history, the Mad Dog 10K has been recognised as a key event within the community and has been organised by the Southport Hesketh Round Table on a non-profit basis. While the spring-time date generally provides runners with wind and chilly conditions, the course is pancake flat and lots of fast finishes are anticipated once again.

In addition to the main event there is also the Crazy Pups race which is dedicated to under 16s - so this is a great day out for everyone along the (sometimes) sunny shores of Southport.

Race organiser Adrian Shandley previously told runABC North of the race’s genesis: “The event was founded in 2011, but had been planned since 2010, sadly during that period a member of the Round Table died, his nickname was 'Mad Dog McWade' because when he was drunk there was nothing he would not do! Since then it is taken on a life of its own and the theme has grown and grown.”

On what runners can expect come 19 March, Adrian added: “This year's theme was Top Dog Maverlick and in 2024 we will be all about Barkbie! There are live bands at every kilometre and we have a huge amount of runners who are running in fancy dress for big cash prizes."

This year, organisers have been looking for ways to reduce waste and cut costs for Mad Doggers, they say: "To reduce waste, t-shirts will only be available for Mad Doggers who enter before 7 December. After this time, no t-shirts will be available. You can reduce your entry fee by opting out of the t-shirt"

If you'd like to know more visit the Mad Dog 10K website.

Image: Mad Dog 10K Facebook