ATW St Albans New Year's Eve 10K

ATW are bringing their New Year's Eve 10K back to Highfield Park on Thursday 31 December, the last day of the year. It's a single-lap course that starts and finishes in the park, taking you out along the Alban Way — that flat, tree-lined stretch of disused railway line that heads towards Hatfield — before looping back via Sleapshyde and returning along the same path. Most of it is tarmac, with a grass finish field and very little traffic to contend with, so it's a straightforward run without too many surprises.

There's a free children's fun run just before the 10K start, so if you've got the little ones with you, they can get their own race in before the main event. Once you cross the line, there's a custom-designed medal, free event photos, snacks and a glass of celebratory fizz to mark the end of the year. If you're bringing a crowd to cheer you on, they're looked after too: live music, a bar and a Cow juice Coffee van will be waiting at the finish.

The race is put on by ATW (Active Training World), which was started in 2011 by St Albans runner and triathlete James Shipley. Since then it's grown into a national UK events company specialising in running, triathlon, duathlon, aquathon, cycling, swimming and all the different combinations of swim-bike-run. They now stage more than 80 events a year, and their sister company, Event Chip Timing, times another 50. The New Year's Eve 10K is one of those, and it's a good way to get a run in before the celebrations properly kick off.

It starts at 09:30 on Thursday 31 December from Highfield Park, 8 Tillage Close, AL4 0FN. Entry is £34.98.