Beach running nowhere fast in September

Beach running. Apparently it’s not just for Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff types. As the Red Bull Quicksand event aims to prove, it’s for all of us.

The inaugural event takes place on September 1, 2018. I tried walking quickly up a pebble beach the other week. That’s tricky, so with sand it should be a breeze right? Well, as the race is being billed ‘a uniquely brutal one-mile race’ maybe not.

The location for this beach running extravaganza is Margate in Kent. I’ve always been keen to bring you quirky running events and an energy-sapping Baywatch style day on the dunes sounds suitably offbeat.

Runners and fitness enthusiasts will be able to test their mettle against 750 other competitors in this innovative and gruelling seaside race.

A running race like no other, it could be the most challenging mile you ever run.

There are obvious challenges that come with running on sand. Runners expend 1.6 times more energy on sand than running on a road surface.

Plus, the course includes four large and three smaller sandy climbs, giving competitors a full examination of endurance and bursts of speed.

Man-made ?sandcastle? obstacles will tower over competitors, forcing them to climb vertically over the loose terrain, creating a challenge for even the most hardened athlete.

With starving lungs and burning calves, advancing competitors will face the course all over again. The event follows a knockout format with runners progressing through heats and semi-finals to reach the grand final.

As the hot UK summer continues, at least by September it may have cooled down a touch.

Entries are now open with early bird race entry costing ?20 and available until July 18. To secure a place, or find out more, head to www.redbull.com/quicksand.