Christmas
WONDERING what excuses to make this Christmas when you've got fed up with the dull TV, Uncle Bert's borish jokes, the noisy kids and endless turkey sandwiches?
Well how about taking yourself off for a run - or even a race? Poole Athletics Club will once again be hosting their popular "Round the Lakes" Poole Park 10km on Boxing Day.
This starts and finishes from Poole Park Cricket Pavilion on Tuesday, December 26th at 11am.
The course is fast and flat and held entirely within the park - four laps of the main boating lake and one smaller lap around the cricket pitch to finish.
The postal closing date for entries is December 17th - entries received after that will be held for collection. Entry fees are £6 for affiliated runners, and £1 extra for entries on the day. There is also a junior fun run for eight to 15-year-olds starting at 10.30am.
The following day, Wednesday, December 27th, you can make your excuses from the post-Christmas sales by taking part in the Pub to Pub Charity Road Race & Walk at Horndean.
This event, organised by Portsmouth Joggers Club, always attracts a fair sprinkling of bleary-eyed Stubbies. The race is an undulating seven-mile course which starts from the Ship & Bell pub in Horndean, heads to the Red Lion at Chalton and then back to Horndean. Race headquarters is the Blendworth Centre on Blendworth Lane, Horndean, just off the A3(M), and start time is 11am.
The Pub to Pub road race is traditionally held to support the Portsmouth Hospitals' Rockey Appeal. To enter, there are entry forms doing the rounds at most races. There are entries on the day, but no entries are accepted after 10am.
Entry fee is £6 for affiliated runners and £2 extra on the day. Nice pay-off line on the Portsmouth Joggers' entry form - "if you object to your results or possible photo appearing in the press, we suggest you do not enter this event." Nice one!
And finally, if you are looking to cure those end of year blues, then how about the Somerley House 5km and 10km races near Ringwood on Saturday, December 31st. These races are once again organised by Poole AC in aid of the Wessex Autistic Society's Domino Appeal.
This is the sixth running of the event, which is staged on gravel tracks around Somerley House and which starts at 10.30am. The postal closing date for entries is December 22nd, and entries received after this date will be held for collection.
Entry fees are £6 for affiliated runners and £1 extra on the day. To enter either the Round The Lakes or Somerley House races, log onto the Poole AC website where you can download an entry form - www.pooleac.co.uk
Finally, a word to the wise that entry forms for the 16th Chichester Priory 10km race on February 4th are available. This race always sells out, and every year there are disappointed runners who have left it too late. The closing date for entries is January 13th - so get in quick if you want to enter. For more information, log onto www.chichester10krace.org.uk