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Greek Running Tours by Dean Karnazes: the ‘ultimate runcation’ in Greece 
Sports Travel, Trips & Experiences

Greek Running Tours by Dean Karnazes: the ‘ultimate runcation’ in Greece 

Greek-American ultramarathoner Constantine “Dean” Karnazes has partnered with sports tourism and wellness agency ActiveMedia Group to launch Greek Running Tours. Greece, the birthplace of the marathon, is a land where history has been created, legends made and where magic and mythology come together. As tribute to his Greek heritage and his desire to promote Greek tourism to a global audience, Karnazes gives runners the opportunity to explore Greece on foot, immersing in the history and beauty, eating the food and experiencing this legendary land in a way that few tourists ever will.  Dean Karnazes (Image: Angelos Zymaras) Along with the running (and a walking option for non-runners) each day will include cultural experiences – from bread making in the mountains of Crete, to olive...
Sports holidays: adventure cycling in South Korea with Saddle Skedaddle
Sports Travel, Trips & Experiences

Sports holidays: adventure cycling in South Korea with Saddle Skedaddle

Cycling holiday company Saddle Skedaddle has launched a new guided adventure in South Korea that takes riders from Seoul to Busan. The 14-day cycling trip explores the history, culture and cuisine of this often overlooked part of Asia.  Beginning in the capital Seoul, the route follows the newly-developed Cheonggyecheon Stream Bike Path, cutting through the heart of the city all the way to the Han River Bikeway.  Joining the South Han River Bike Path in Yangpyeong, it’s a fairly flat ride to the county of Angsung where the area’s famous hot springs are ready to treat weary legs after a long day in the saddle. More hot springs await in the town of Suanbo, North Chungcheong, where the healing waters have been part of Korean culture for centuries.  The changing scenery leaving S...
Emilia Romagna, Italy, sports guide: events and activities in 2023
Destination Guides, Sports Travel, Trips & Experiences

Emilia Romagna, Italy, sports guide: events and activities in 2023

Emilia Romagna’s “Motor Valley” comes alive when it hosts three major motorsport events: Motor Valley Fest and Formula 1 in May and MotoGP in September. The northern Italian region has been long regarded as the Motor Valley due to its significant contribution to Italy's motor industry. In addition to being home of celebrated brands – including Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati, Pagani, Dallara, Energica and Lamborghini – Emilia Romagna has a wealth of events and attractions making it a must-visit destination for motoring fans, from international motor tracks and circuits, to a number of private collections of vintage cars and motorcycles. Emilia Romagna has an action-packed sports events calendar in 2023. As well as motorsport, the Italian region will also host Giro d’Italia cycling and IRONMAN...
Patagonia Park Argentina: the ultimate outdoor destination
Outdoor & Adventure, The Americas

Patagonia Park Argentina: the ultimate outdoor destination

Large-scale rewilding with brand new trails and facilities have transformed Patagonia Park Argentina into South America’s ultimate outdoor destination for 2023 and beyond. The park has been restored by private charitable organisation, Freyja Foundation, and its partner and grantee, Rewilding Argentina, in a bid to ignite greater connection with nature and passion for the outdoors.  The park stretches across 180,000 hectares from Portal Cañadón Pinturas in Argentina to La Ascensión Portal on the border of Chile and, thanks to the rewilding efforts, is once again home to Patagonia’s top predator, the puma, and the region’s largest herbivore, the guanaco. Through world-class trails, hiking, camping, excursions and breath-taking scenic routes, travellers will encounter endangered species th...
Mallorca sports guide: events and activities in 2023
Sports Travel

Mallorca sports guide: events and activities in 2023

In addition to its natural beauty, mild weather and unique cultural heritage, Mallorca is the ideal destination to practise sports 365 days a year. Due to its long sporting tradition and excellent infrastructure, the island isn’t short of international competitions either and in 2023 a large number of events will attract visitors throughout the year. Here we take a look at the cycling, triathlon, running, golf and tennis events and activities in Mallorca.  Cycling With 2,071km of roads and cycling paths, Mallorca has become a bucket list destination for the world’s amateur and professional cyclists alike due to the island’s 16 routes that make up its extensive cycle route map infrastructure.  Mallorca 312 is one of the island’s most important races. Taking place on 29 Ap...
Formula 1 Exhibition to open in March 2023 in Madrid 
Events, Sports Travel

Formula 1 Exhibition to open in March 2023 in Madrid 

Tickets are now on sale for the world’s first official Formula 1 Exhibition, which will open on 24 March 2023 at the renowned IFEMA MADRID in Madrid, Spain. Developed in association with Formula 1 and with support from the motorsport community, the show boasts a wide range of artefacts and contributions from the sport’s most legendary teams, drivers, experts and personalities. Several years in the making, the exhibition combines spectacular audio-visual design, rare film and imagery, engineering and educational displays, sculptural pieces and iconic Grand Prix cars to deliver an immersive experience for everyone – from avid followers to younger fans and families. Produced in partnership with Round Room Live and delving far beyond what fans have ever seen before, the show uses bold, tech...
Rugby union: 2023 Six Nations men’s and women’s fixtures and dates
Destination Guides, Event Calendars, Events, Sports Travel

Rugby union: 2023 Six Nations men’s and women’s fixtures and dates

European rugby union takes centre stage in February and March 2023 with the men’s Guinness Six Nations championship. Featuring England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, games will be played over five rounds. In 2022 France won the championship and the grand slam. The 2023 edition of the Six Nations will also be a big part of preparations ahead of the men’s 2023 Rugby World Cup in September and October.   Following the conclusion of the men’s Six Nations, it’s the turn of the women’s teams. The 2023 Women’s Six Nations championship begins with the first round of fixtures on 25-26 March and finishes with round five on 29 April. Guinness Six Nations Fanzones Each year, millions of rugby fans attend the Guinness Six Nations matches, and more than 100,000,000 tune in across ...
Tatras region winter sports: skiing on Slovakia’s wild side
Enjoy Tatras

Tatras region winter sports: skiing on Slovakia’s wild side

By Ramy James Salameh Visiting the Tatras region of Slovakia is like parachuting directly into a spectacular wilderness. Whether you’re ascending or descending the breath-taking mountainous landscape on foot and skis or feeling your body come alive floating in the region’s warm geothermal waters, the High and Low Tatras is the perfect place to cleanse, unwind and get back to nature. Here you can indulge in unforgettable experiences you’ll be talking about for years.  Where else can you view brown bears in the wild, stay in a two-room hotel next to a solar high-altitude observatory at the top of a 2,634m summit, walk inside the Tatra Ice Dome in between an ice sculpture depicting the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, witness the last-working mountain sherpas of Europe ...
Poprad: discover one of Slovakia’s top sports cities
Enjoy Tatras

Poprad: discover one of Slovakia’s top sports cities

Thanks to its airport, railway connections and road network, the eastern Slovakian city of Poprad is regarded as the gateway to the High Tatras mountain range and is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Tatras region. Welcoming visitors all year round, Poprad is also a popular destination for sports travellers, whatever the season. Named by ACES Europe as one of the European Cities of Sport for 2023, we take a look at what sporting experiences and facilities Poprad has to offer. Sporting activities in Poprad Winter sports  Poprad’s location south of the High Tatras National Park makes it an ideal base to explore the nearby ski resorts during the winter months. Two of the top five ski resorts – Jasna and SkiPark Malino Brdo – are just a 40-minute driv...
Top five ski resorts of Slovakia’s Tatras region
Enjoy Tatras

Top five ski resorts of Slovakia’s Tatras region

The Tatras mountains of Slovakia are affectionately known as “the lowest high mountains in the world” as they offer some 50 peaks of more than 2,000m, all in a compact and truly diverse region. This creates so many advantages for those seeking every type of active adventure vacation, both in summer and in winter.  For this guide, we are specifically delving into the main ski resorts of the High and Low Tatras, as the lush green topography turns white with wintery fun. We cannot introduce you to all of Slovakia’s ski resorts, but we can give you a guide to the best ones in the Tatras region. These are the resorts to sweep, carve and curate a memorable ski holiday that will keep you enthralled from dawn until dusk and let you simply breathe in this unique and dramatic scenery.&n...
Top 10 alternative winter activities in Slovakia’s Tatras region
Enjoy Tatras

Top 10 alternative winter activities in Slovakia’s Tatras region

Taking a ski holiday to the smallest high-lying mountain range in the world has the major advantage of having everything at your fingertips. Slovakia’s Tatras region is compact, accessible, affordable, beautiful and above all, fun. With everything being so close, it means there is plenty of time to explore the many alternative winter activities away from the slopes in the Tatras region. Here are just a few ideas to get you started… Head to the Tatra Ice Dome   Tatra Ice Dome's Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (Image: Marek Hajkovsky) The theme of the 10th anniversary year of this attraction at Hrebienok (High Tatras) is a unique sacral building – the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. For the first time in the history of the Tatra Ice Dome, visitors ...
Interview: on the slopes with Matej Hulej, executive director of Enjoy Tatras
Enjoy Tatras

Interview: on the slopes with Matej Hulej, executive director of Enjoy Tatras

Aside from being executive director of the Enjoy Tatras regional tourist board and destination management company, Matej Hulej (pictured above) is a keen sportsman and active adventurist. He takes advantage of the Tatras region’s incredible landscape to hike, climb and ski. Sports Tourism Media spoke with him to get an expert’s viewpoint on adrenaline seeking, tourism and sport in the region. Like Slovakian ski star Petra Vlhová, you were born in Liptovsky Mikulas and your home ski resort is Jasna. What is special about this ski resort for helping to create world-class winter sports athletes?    Litptovsky Mikulas is the birthplace of Olympic athletes. Petra Vlhová in downhill skiing, Michal Martikán in wild water skiing, or hockey players who were part of the Slovakia...
Ski travel book: Around The World in 50 Slopes by Patrick Thorne
Destination Guides, Winter Sports

Ski travel book: Around The World in 50 Slopes by Patrick Thorne

The new book from veteran snow travel writer Patrick Thorne – Around The World in 50 Slopes – takes skiers on a journey between ski runs located in 30 countries across six continents. Available to buy in bookstores and online, each of the 50 featured slopes includes a fact box and a hand-drawn map which marks each run’s location. Thorne's last book – Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet – topped Amazon’s ski-books best-seller list for more than six years. For his new title, he has taken a different approach in choosing his 50 runs. “There are lots of lists online covering the world’s steepest, most challenging runs and it’s normally the usual suspects, but I’m more interested in runs that have a story to them, an added dimension beyond just being great runs,” he said. “In short, ...
Les Sables-d’Olonne: capitalising on sailing and ocean racing
Sports Travel

Les Sables-d’Olonne: capitalising on sailing and ocean racing

by Ramy James Salameh For Les Sables d'Olonne sport has brought global attention to this elegant seaside town in western France. Settled on the shores of the Atlantic coast, the destination has become the world capital of single-handed ocean racing, home of the Vendée Globe and Golden Globe solo round-the-world sailing races. The latter is described as the father of solo round-the-world events, one for the sailing purists, placing man and not machine at the heart of maritime exploration, while the equally demanding Vendée Globe uses state-of-the-art technology and equipment, but with no less guile, determination and fortitude.  A dedicated race village opens to the public at Esplanade du Vendée Globe weeks prior t...
Ski Club of Great Britain announces 2022-2023 Freshtracks holiday schedule
Sports Travel, Trips & Experiences

Ski Club of Great Britain announces 2022-2023 Freshtracks holiday schedule

The Ski Club of Great Britain’s Freshtracks holiday programme has fully re-launched for the 2022-2023 season with more than 150 different weeks throughout the winter, starting on 25 November 2022 and running until 1 May 2023. All Freshtracks holidays are designed to bring like-minded skiers together of similar ability levels and many trips are led by qualified mountain guides and ski instructors. Holidays are popular with solo travellers with many trips sold on a single occupancy basis. There’s a programme dedicated to those skiers over the age of 60 – Peak Experience – that attracts enthusiasts well into their 70s and sometimes beyond, plus one of the largest choices of off-piste and ski touring holidays on the UK market. But there’s also opportunities for skiers to improve their techn...
Skiing in Austria: 11 reasons to hit the slopes this winter 
Sports Travel, Trips & Experiences

Skiing in Austria: 11 reasons to hit the slopes this winter 

From snow-sure slopes to the world-famous Kaiserschmarren, Austria is one of the best places to ski. Here the team from the Austrian National Tourist Office pick out 11 reasons why you should visit Austria for skiing this winter. 1. Plenty of snow-sure pistes  Snow-guarantee is a crucial factor when choosing a winter destination. And, luckily, the Austrian Alps are blessed with it. Widely recognized as one of the world's most reliable skiing destinations, Austria's top resorts ensure perfectly groomed pistes throughout the classic winter season – and way beyond. Tirol alone has five glaciers, including Zillertal's Hintertux, where you can ski 365 days a year. In Zell am See-Kaprun skiing is on from October to June thanks to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. And if everything goes wrong, Aus...
Qatar World Cup new openings: hotels, resorts and attractions
Hotels & Resorts, Sports Travel

Qatar World Cup new openings: hotels, resorts and attractions

With just weeks until the start of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, Qatar Tourism has revealed new tourism attractions, hotels and resorts that will be open for fans to enjoy during the tournament. Here we take a look at some of the upcoming new openings ahead of the football festival… Related articles 2022 Fifa World Cup Qatar: fixtures and groupsHotel review: InterContinental Doha Beach & Spa Pictures: Qatar Airways aircraft with Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 livery Al Maha Island (Image: Qatar Tourism) Al Maha Island Set to launch in November, Al Maha Island will feature high-end restaurants including Zuma, LPM, Billionaire and Carbone, as well as other eateries and attractions such as Nammos Qatar beach club. The island also features Al Maha Drive, a unique driveway experience r...
Aqua Rugby Festival: a ‘sporting phenomenon’ in Sydney, Australia 
Events, Sports Travel

Aqua Rugby Festival: a ‘sporting phenomenon’ in Sydney, Australia 

With “big hits” and even “bigger splashes”, Aqua Rugby has been described as Australia’s newest “sporting phenomenon”. Taking place at Manly Cove in Sydney, Australia from 10-12 November 2022, the three-day Aqua Rugby Festival will see matches played on a 30m x 30m floating pontoon pitch with tries scored by jumping into the ocean. Think of it as rugby’s full contact and fast pace combined with Olympic-style dives and NFL-inspired celebrations.    The teams, professional and amateur, feature five players plus reserves and games are played for ten minutes – five-minute halves with two minutes for half time. Over the weekend there will be men’s and women’s knockout competitions as well as a number of exhibition matches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_QNk0NRI2o Fans will be able...
‘Blue Scotland’ by Mollie Hughes: a sports adventurer’s guide to Scotland’s wild waters
Destination Guides, Europe, Trips & Experiences, Watersports & Surfing

‘Blue Scotland’ by Mollie Hughes: a sports adventurer’s guide to Scotland’s wild waters

In her new book – Blue Scotland: The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Scotland’s Wild Waters – sports adventurer Mollie Hughes picks out her favourite places across Scotland to paddleboard, kayak, swim and surf.  Mixing world-class surfing breaks with kayaking adventures on the west coast, and urban paddleboarding along the Clyde with invigorating swims in the lochs of the Cairngorms National Park, the book shows how to access and enjoy these varied blue spaces.  Hughes includes her own personal experiences and tips, enabling wild water sports fans of all levels to make the most of the amazing opportunities Scotland has to offer. Here’s her pick of the off-the-beaten track places to visit in Scotland.   North Uist, Outer Hebrides  “The Island of North Uist in the Outer Heb...
Sports travel bucket list: Everest Base Camp 70th anniversary trek with Mountain Kingdoms
Bucket List, Trips & Experiences

Sports travel bucket list: Everest Base Camp 70th anniversary trek with Mountain Kingdoms

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay famously stepped foot on the summit of Everest on 29 May 1953 receiving worldwide acclaim and a lifetime of mountaineering superstardom. To mark their historic achievement, British tour operator Mountain Kingdoms has arranged a special Everest Base Camp Trek to arrive at Base Camp exactly 70 years later. This platinum anniversary trek will be led by Pertemba Sherpa – a celebrated three-time Everest summiteer who made his first ascent alongside mountaineering legend Chris Bonington. Pertemba's exceptional experience, Himalayan knowledge and years spent accumulating a treasure trove of mountaineering tales will add an extra dimension to the trek and give a unique insight into life on Everest. During the day at base camp there will be the chance to ...