Pounding the pavement is great but it can become tiresome, so why not take on a new challenge this year and hit the sand. Sand running is gruelling, yes, but sand running is also rewarding. And here are three reasons why you should give it a go.

Triathlon is not just a sport; it’s a lifestyle. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned triathlete, young or old, male or female, an elite or a recreational athlete, triathlon is one of the few individual sports that allow us all to participate and compete together.

Newcastle is set to lift their triathlon profile with confirmation the inaugural NSW Relay Challenge will be a feature event of the city’s three-day festival next year.
Organisers of Newcastle’s Triathlon Festival were already expecting to attract plenty of interest in 2015 after merging the Sparke Helmore NBN Triathlon and the Newcastle Foreshore Triathlon, events that had previously co-existed for 22 years.
But the inclusion of the three-person relay challenge, in which team members complete a super short sprint course in succession, adds further prestige to the event.
‘We have just found out that the relay challenge has been given state championship status from TriNSW, which makes it a really exciting addition to our ever-growing schedule over three days,’ event director Paul Humphreys said.

In what is hoped to be a positive step forward for both events, this year’s Big Beach Challenge Sand Run will move from its traditional spring date to the morning of the iconic Surfest finals at Merewether Beach on Sunday 22 Feb.  Sand run organiser Paul Humphreys said it all came about by chance, with Surfest organiser Warren Smith being on life guard duty on the morning of the 2013 event. “I’ve known Warren for a long time and on that morning we had a chat about moving the date of the Beach Challenge to coincide with Surfest. At the time I thought it might be too hot, but we have since agreed it that with an early start, it would be an ideal opportunity to cross promote both events to our substantial network and also bolster crowds for finals day and the run”; said Humphreys.