The Big Bear Run

The Big Bear Run is coming to Askham Bryan Wildlife and Conservation Park on Sunday 16 August, a 10k road race that takes you through the North Yorkshire countryside and raises money for Project Moon Bear. It's run in partnership with Curly's Athletes, and the park's deputy animal sciences and conservation manager, Tilly McGill, has called it the largest-scale event the park has ever staged.

The course starts and finishes inside the park, then heads out onto closed rural roads through the villages of Askham Richard and Bilbrough. Because the roads are closed, you're running through the countryside without having to worry about traffic, which is a nice change from the usual York road runs. It's a 10k, so it's a decent distance, but the scenery along the way does a lot of the heavy lifting.

As for where the money goes, Project Moon Bear is a charity that rescues and rehabilitates Asiatic black bears in South Korea, including ex-bear-bile bears. The run is a fundraiser for their work, so every entry helps them get more bears out of captivity and back into a sanctuary. It's a good cause to have behind a morning out in the fresh air.

There are a couple of perks for taking part: every finisher gets a bear-themed medal, and you'll have entry to the park after the race to see the animals. More than 550 people have already signed up, so you'll be in good company. The race starts at 10:00am on Sunday 16 August, and entry is £24–£26.