Festive sporting events

Whether you watch, support or join in, venturing to a sporting event over the Christmas period will help blow away the cobwebs. Matt Baird picks his favourites from around the nation

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1 PENNINE FELL RUNS

Triathlon superstars the Brownlee brothers have been regular participants at the Auld Lang Syne Race, the New Year's Eve fell-running event that takes place near Haworth in the Pennines. While Alistair and Jonny - both Olympic medallists - wear just a vest and shorts to compete, an array of fancy dress outfits are donned by those at the slower end of the field. Starting off in Penistone Hill Country Park, the 6.7-mile route includes a mighty 305m of elevation gain (theentrypoint.co.uk). Other festive runs in the Pennines include the Whinberry Naze on Boxing Day and Bilberry Fields on 29 December.

2 SEASONAL SWIMS