THE SAPPHIRE
RUNNING ZONE

JOIN THE SAPPHIRE RUNNING ZONE
AND SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES

Welcome to The Sapphire Running Zone, a place that brings runners together from all over the world, especially those that are running for charity. We have a membership plan that gives access to our extensive blogs and our expert running training plans. Our market leading podcasts and videos, that include profiling your achievements and support from elite runners, are available free of charge without signing up to a plan.

LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS

ELIE OBARA

MARCH 23rd - A marathon is a serious challenge, but add another 8km on and that's what Elie will be tackling this May as she takes on the Run to the Sea 50km event in Brighton. Elie tells us about her scoliosis experiences, her surgery and how she is training for her biggest sporting adventure yet!

FRANK WHITE

MARCH 20th - Frank White didn't think one half marathon for charity was enough. He didn't think two in a month was enough. So he decided to do three in a month and raise money for Young lives vs Cancer. Starting with his local half in Bideford in North Devon, we chat to Frank after his second half, in Bath. How would he cope after breaking his elbow three weeks before Bideford? Next up is one of the UK's biggest, London Landmarks in April and we'll find out how that went in episode 2.

A COMMENTATOR'S LIFE

MARCH 19th - Tim Hutchings has one of the most recognised voices in the running world. Whether it be at a Diamond League event in a leading stadium around the world, or at a top marathon, Tim is likely to be leading the commentary team. Following his highly successful running career, culminating in an Olympic Games 5000m final, Tim moved into the world of commentary and in this fascinating podcast he shares with us what's involved...and it's not all glamour.

RUNNING CLUBS

MARCH 12th -Natalie Edwards from Coulsdon Runners, in the London Borough of Croydon, began her running journey in September 2021 and progressed from a 3 minute run to running the London Marathon in 2024. She credits her progress and her enjoyment of running to being part of a community led running club, that not only has multiple beginner and social running groups, but also complementary classes that help build strength and conditioning. Here Natalie tells us how it all works and what's great about being part of a social running club.

BEN BRINDLEY

MARCH 11th - Ben Brindley is not your average runner. He's very fast, he's been impacted by mental health struggles and he spends hours running with a wheelbarrow. Due to the extreme stresses they face those working in the construction industry are four times more likely to commit suicide and they need support. That's what the Lighthouse, the Construction Charity does and Ben runs with his wheelbarrow to raise funds for them and to raise awareness of the problem. From 5km events to 'Everesting' (175km in 40 hours with 9405m of ascent!!) it's been a busy 18 months, with a world record attempt to come!

EXPO ESSENTIALS

MARCH 11th -Many of the larger events (and some of the smaller marquee events) will have a running expo. This is where you go and pick up your race pack, that includes your running number and the chip that will record your time. There is also normally plenty of merchandise available as well as booths from sponsors and charity partners. Follow our essentials guide to getting the most of your expo experience.

TRAINING PLANS

MARCH 7th - Whatever your running aspiration you need a training plan. Whether your running your first ever 5k, to lose weight, get fit, or to do a sub 4 hour marathon you need to know what to do next. Don't wing it, get yourself a plan and do it the right way. Here we tell you why.

JEREMY ALFORD

MARCH 6th - Jeremy, a Cornishman living in north London, is no stranger to setbacks in his running career. Surgeries on both knees and two heart procedures would have been enough to end most people's running aspirations, but not Jeremy's. He still runs most days and shows us all that where there is determination and motivation it's still possible to deal with setbacks along your running journey.

RACE DAY STRATEGY

MARCH 6th - There are so many things that can go wrong on the day, but it doesn't take too much planning to make sure those don't happen. Tim Rogers, who is the first to admit he has made some of these mistakes in previous races, has learnt from them and shares his thoughts on how to make sure your race starts well...and ends well.

FREE RUNNING SHOES ANYONE?

If you've got an entry in a running event and raise £1000 for charity you'll get a £150 pair of running shoes absolutely free. Too good to be true? It isn't. FIND OUT MORE

RUNNER SUPPORT

Whatever distance you're planning to run, from 5km to the marathon, we've got the running support you need, from beginners upwards. Running podcasts, videos, blogs and training plans, all aimed at developing your potential.

FUNDRAISING

In the ideal world everyone would use their race entry to raise funds for their preferred charity. We're on a mission to make that happen and have all the tools you need right here, whatever cause you want to support!

OUR LATEST BLOG POSTS

You'll need a membership plan and be logged in to read the blogs in full.

EXPO ESSENTIALS

Our expo essentials guide makes sure it's a positive part of your event journey rather than a negative one.

EVENTS

5 min read

RUN. RAISE. REWARDS

Want to run your next event for free? Fancy a new pair of running shoes. Find out more right here.

FUNDRAISING

2 min read

RUNNER STORIES: A PODCAST SERIES

Sharing your experiences and learning from others are part of the joy of running and what better way to do this than through podcasts.

GET STARTED

3 min read

NEW 30 DAY CHALLENGES

Introducing our new 30 Day Challenges. We have 5km, 10km, half marathon and marathon distances for runners and walkers of all abilities.

EVENTS

4 min read

A WARM UP EVENT IS A BIG PART OF RACE PREPARATION

If you're taking part in an upcoming major marathon you need to think really carefully about taking part in a big race beforehand.

TRAINING

5 min read

SWIMMING: A GREAT CROSS TRAINING OPTION

Swimming: it's non loading bearing, a great stress buster, an all over workout, and it burns calories in a big way, what's not to love?

TRAINING

3 min read

Why the 'Sapphire' Running Zone? For centuries the Sapphire has been seen a symbol of the heavens and a promoter of good health. It is believed to bring gifts of fulfilment, joy, prosperity, inner peace and beauty. Some wore it to ward off illness or as protection while traveling. It helps find peace of mind and serenity and promotes a life of sincerity. Sums up running and fundraising nicely!

A sunset view of Los Angeles, California

30 DAY CHALLENGES

VIDEOS

Our videos are available for you to watch without a Plan. We're building the library, so bare with us; it's early days!

TRAINING PLANS

You'll need to have signed up to one of our Membership Plans to access our training plans.

NAVY

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2.99

Every month

Access all of our running and fundraising blogs, videos, podcasts and training plans. Less than the price of a coffee!

ALL TRAINING PLANS

ALL BLOGS

ALL AD FREE!

THE SAPPHIRE
RUNNING ZONE

FREE RUNNING SHOES ANYONE?

If you've got an entry in a running event and raise £1000 for charity you'll get a £150 pair of running shoes absolutely free. Too good to be true? It isn't. FIND OUT MORE

RUNNER SUPPORT

FUNDRAISING

OUR LATEST BLOG POSTS

EXPO ESSENTIALS

RUN. RAISE. REWARDS

RUNNER STORIES: A PODCAST SERIES

NEW 30 DAY CHALLENGES

A WARM UP EVENT IS A BIG PART OF RACE PREPARATION

SWIMMING: A GREAT CROSS TRAINING OPTION

30 DAY CHALLENGES

MEMBERSHIP

NAVY

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