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Decathlon RunDays are here – sign up to the 5K and get free running essentials

Decathlon RunDays are here – sign up to the 5K and get free running essentials

Independent20-05-2025
With running apps, coaches, run clubs and specialist gear on the rise, now might just be the best time to get into running. Whether you have your sights set on a marathon or you simply want to up your fitness game and your only competition is yourself, running is a great way to find community, get fit and focus on your longevity.
A leading study on cardio showed that running a short course, or even walking it on a regular basis can add years to your life and keep you vital for years to come. Plus, the run club might soon replace the pub, as thousands of people are turning to social running for community, mental health support and a way to reconnect with family and friends.
If you're not sure where to get started with running, or what to train for, you'll be pleased to hear that Decathlon has relaunched its RunDays.
More than 15,000 people joined the brand's RunDays and PlayDays last year so they're back on the road taking fun runs to cities across the UK this summer. The RunDays will take place in Leeds, Edinburgh, Sheffield, London, Southampton and a host of other cities so there's bound to be a run you can take part in close by.
Decathlon are experts when it comes to running but they also know that running can quickly become an expensive hobby. Customers who sign up for the family-friendly 5k run for £5 will also receive a goodie bag packed with running essentials and mementos.
You'll get everything you need to take part including a Kiprun race t-shirt, a Tenzing energy drink (or water) and a natural energy bar from Trek. You'll also find a medal in your goodie bag and a £5 voucher to use in Decathlon stores. The voucher means you essentially get your sign up fee back – which is already very affordable at just £5.
The idea behind the RunDays is to get more people moving, whatever your level of fitness. Decathlon and Kiprun are on a mission to inspire active lifestyles and fun days out.
So, whether you're an athlete, new to the game, a busy parent, an enthusiast, or just looking to join a like-minded local sport community, the perfect summer day out awaits you, as well as a bag of free running gear.
Not into running? Decathlon's PlayDays might be more up your street. Sports activities, classes, challenges and even beach days and camping days are on the agenda to get you and the whole family outside and moving.
Find out more about RunDays dates and cities near you and sign up for the family-friendly 5k here.
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Euro 2025: 'Critical' Wales make lasting legacy of qualification
Euro 2025: 'Critical' Wales make lasting legacy of qualification

BBC News

time23 minutes ago

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Euro 2025: 'Critical' Wales make lasting legacy of qualification

The theme of Wales' historic Euro 2025 campaign has been the act of climbing a the beginning of their qualifying campaign, manager Rhian Wilkinson set her players the goal of becoming the first Wales team to reach a women's major tournament. That, she said, was climbing the when she selected her squad for the competition, it was symbolic that Wilkinson decided to do it at the summit of Yr is only natural that Wales' players will be dejected after Sunday's 6-1 thrashing by England confirmed their elimination at the earliest stage, but they can take great pride in the fact that they have helped their country scale new heights. Now the goal is to build on this achievement, to make it a lasting legacy."That's the absolutely critical question for us because we've always known that this is about what we do next," says former Wales captain Laura McAllister, who is now a vice-president with European football governing body Uefa."We're not starting from a low base because we already have a strategy for women and girls but, of course, qualifying for tournaments brings not just more funding but also more opportunity to capitalise on the energy around the game and the inspiration for young girls particularly to go out and play football."So it's incumbent on us now in football, whether it's Welsh level or European level, to make sure the money we spend on the game creates a stronger pathway for all players, whether they're going to be the next Jess Fishlock or Angharad James, or whether they're just going to play for fun with their friends." How to inspire future generations? By qualifying for Euro 2025, Wales have transformed women's football in their was only in the 1990s that they were recognised by their own association as a fully-fledged international years afterwards, they were still underfunded, undervalued and, often, simply the players who fought for their right to play – McAllister among them – would not be who made sure that women could wear the red shirt - even if it was an ill-fitting hand-me-down from a men's team - did not take no for an is on the shoulders of those pioneers that the current players by qualifying for their first tournament, these women realised the dreams of their trailblazing been drawn in such a difficult group, nobody gave Wales much hope – but just to see them play on that stage was then to watch Fishlock - who else - score their first goal at a tournament? That was beyond moments will endure. They will inspire generations to come. So how does the Football Association of Wales do that in practical terms?"Well, first and foremost there has to be enough clubs that are welcoming and they need to provide the right opportunities for girls, and really there's no excuse for any football club not to have a girls' section and a women's section now," McAllister tells BBC Wales."If they aren't doing that now then they should be on the journey to doing it because we need to make the opportunities very local, obviously we can't expect girls to travel hundreds of miles to play football."We also have to invest heavily in the facility base because we know that we don't have enough facilities for boys or girls, or men and women, at the moment. Fortunately we're able to tailor some of our investment now into feminising some of the facilities so that we have simple things like better changing rooms, better toilet facilities, things that can be done relatively cheaply."But this all has to be part of the overarching strategy and it's a big and complex area because what we need to do for the grassroots is very different to what we need to do to strengthen the pathway for the elite and talented players."The desire to capitalise on this moment extends to politics."Qualifying for a first major women's tournament is an incredible feat by this fantastic group of players. I am incredibly proud of all the team has achieved," says Jack Sargeant, Wales' minister for sport."The best way to celebrate this historic achievement is by helping inspire even more young women to play football. "We will do this by supporting projects right across Wales, helping build future success and cementing the players' legacy for generations to come." 'Wales can make the impossible seem possible' It is impossible to remove the historical and emotional context when analysing this campaign but, in pure footballing terms, Wales simply came up against superior side were the lowest-ranked at Euro 2025 and they were put in Group D alongside holders England, 2017 champions the Netherlands and France, who had won every single one of their matches this team would have struggled in this group, never mind one that had never beaten a country ranked in the world's top battled valiantly in the first half of their opening game against the Netherlands but were undone by Vivianne Miedema's brilliance, before the Dutch punished their defensive mistakes after the were even more ruthless. Although Fishlock gave Wales hope, Les Bleus clinically exposed the gulf in class between the two final match against England was a mismatch on another level, a chastening experience for Wilkinson's there is no disgrace in losing to teams of such quality, particularly with Wales' limited FAW bosses have admitted, they are still playing "catch-up" with the leading although the gap between the best and the rest is significant, narrowing it in the future is not an insurmountable Wales team have already shown they can make the impossible seem qualifying for Euro 2025, they have proven that to future generations. This was their first – but it will not be the last.

Carlos Alcaraz explains main reason he lost Wimbledon final: ‘I didn't know what to do'
Carlos Alcaraz explains main reason he lost Wimbledon final: ‘I didn't know what to do'

The Independent

time43 minutes ago

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Carlos Alcaraz explains main reason he lost Wimbledon final: ‘I didn't know what to do'

Carlos Alcaraz admits there were moments he 'didn't know what to do' in the face of Jannik Sinner 's brilliant play during their final at Wimbledon on Sunday. Second seed Alcaraz, chasing a third consecutive title in SW19, missed out on a sixth Grand Slam after losing in four sets to fierce rival and world No 1 Sinner. Alcaraz took the first set on Centre Court but the Italian came storming back to claim his first title at the All England Club. Alcaraz only landed 53% of his first serves, compared to 62% for Sinner, and the Spaniard acknowledged that Sinner's level was consistently better throughout their three-hour battle, particularly regarding how both returned each other's second serve. 'It was all about him pushing me to the limit in every point,' Alcaraz said. 'Mentally, it's really tough to maintain. When you see the opponent playing such good tennis, I didn't know what to do. 'From the baseline, he was better than me. The big key was the second serves, he was returning really well, then he was in a position to attack with the second ball. It's difficult when you're defending all the time.' 'I just gave him a lot of free points when he had a second serve. He has a big first serve, but when you have the chance to return the second serve, I had to do more with those points. 'He was serving quite easily, winning his service games quite easily. I had to better on that, but it was a great match, I think the level was really high.' Despite his French Open final heartbreak, Sinner bounced back in impressive fashion on the grass to claim his first non-hard-court Grand Slam. Alcaraz, however, insists he was not surprised that the Italian responded so well. 'He didn't surprise me at all because I know he's a really nice player and a huge champion,' he said. 'Champions learn from the losses. I knew at the beginning that he was going to learn from that final, not going to make the same mistakes as he did in the French Open final. 'The way he played today, it was really, really high. I knew he was going to play like this. Overall, he didn't surprise me at all because I know he's a big champion.'

Sinner banishes Roland Garros demons to de-throne Alcaraz at Wimbledon
Sinner banishes Roland Garros demons to de-throne Alcaraz at Wimbledon

Reuters

timean hour ago

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Sinner banishes Roland Garros demons to de-throne Alcaraz at Wimbledon

LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - When Jannik Sinner arrived at three match points in the fourth set of his Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, the memory of what happened five weeks ago in Paris was flashing through the minds of everyone inside Centre Court. Everyone, perhaps, except world number one Sinner, who managed to banish any lurking demons from the darkest recesses of his brain to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory and become the first Italian Wimbledon singles champion. Just as on the Parisian clay, 23-year-old Sinner was the better player for long periods. Just as at Roland Garros he had the title in his hands. But unlike that day when three consecutive match points vanished in the fourth set and Alcaraz roared back to win the longest French Open final ever, this time the ice-cool Sinner was never going to be denied. Alcaraz, whose bid to become only the fifth man in the professional era to win three successive Wimbledon titles was watched from the Royal Box by Spain's King Felipe, saved one match point. But this time there was no escape for Alcaraz as Sinner fired down an unreturnable serve. There were no ecstatic celebrations. Sinner raised his arms to the sky, before consoling the man he de-throned and headed off in time-honoured fashion to embrace those in his box. "Back in the days when I was young, this was only a dream, because it was so far away from where I'm from," the man from the Dolomites who could have been a top skier, said on court. "Emotionally I had a very tough loss in Paris. So I'm very happy that I held my nerves and yeah, it's an amazing feeling. While Sunday's duel contained some mind-boggling points, it lacked the twists of last month's Roland Garros roller-coaster. It did, though, underline why the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry is set to dominate men's tennis for the foreseeable future. Alcaraz had led their series 8-4 entering Sunday's final, including winning their last five showdowns. So while Sinner was fuelled by a shot at redemption, he also needed to make a statement. He did so with a superlative display of craft and skill. He refused to be knocked off track by losing the last four games of the first set and went on to pick apart Alcaraz's game with a level of tennis his opponent could not match. "It is always difficult to lose even if it is in the final. I have to congratulate Jannik once again," Alcaraz, who lost for the first time in 25 matches dating back to April, said. "I am really happy for you. Keep it going. It is great to build a great rivalry and you made me improve every day." But for Alcaraz's astonishing comeback in Paris, Sinner would now hold all four Grand Slam titles, having won last year's U.S. Open and a second Australian Open this year. He had a large slice of luck en route to his first Wimbledon final when Grigor Dimitrov retired injured while leading by two sets in their fourth-round clash. Since then he barely put a foot wrong. Alcaraz was below his best on Sunday and was always vulnerable to Sinner's crisp, early ball-striking. He still hit back from a slow start though and clinched the first set with a stretching backhand sliced winner from an impossible position. Sinner grabbed an early break in the second though and consolidated it despite a Champagne cork popping and landing on the court -- prompting a chorus of loud boos. Just as Alcaraz sealed the opening set in style, Sinner produced a moment of magic to take the second, whipping an audacious forehand winner at full elastic stretch. The third set felt crucial and after a lull it was Alcaraz who blinked, dropping serve at 4-4 after a slide and slip on the baseline allowed Sinner to guide away a winner. Sinner duly held serve to move one set from victory but after what happened in Paris five weeks ago, it still felt like the finishing line was far away. But the usual Alcaraz exuberance was missing and he was scowling after Sinner clubbed away a backhand winner off a short second serve to gain an early break in the fourth. Alcaraz's mood darkened when Sinner held serve for a 4-2 lead with a net cord off of a forehand. Sinner survived a huge test of his nerve at 4-3, 15-40 when a break may have re-ignited Alcaraz but he showed remarkable composure to take the next four points. The biggest examination came at 5-4 though with Sinner obliged to serve for the title and he passed it with barely a backward glance.

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