Sportives, Running and Triathlons in Cornwall

First up, on the 11th May, St Ives Brewery are holding a sportive which they are saying is for everyone, with two distance options. A strong sense of inclusivity and fun being at the heart of this event means this could be a great one for a first go at a sportive. The cycle starts at St Ives Brewery and goes along the west coast of Cornwall taking you on the most scenic route. The two distances are a Half Pint 59km (38 miles) and a Full Pint 77km (49 miles). Tickets can be purchased on this website along with route information and FAQ’s regarding the event.

Photo Credit: Eventbrite

On the 18th May, there is the challenging Land’s End Sportive held to raise funds for the RNLI. A vital service which provides water safety cover at beaches across Cornwall. The work this organisation does is phenomenal. They save lives and help people daily in our beautiful part of the country; a worthy cause if ever there was one. Starting at the famous landmark of Land’s End, the cycle has two route options. The Land’s End Sportive – 75km road route through the rugged and beautiful west Cornish coast or the Penlee Pedal – a scenic 43km loop from Land’s End to Mousehole, Penlee lifeboat station and Penzance. Both routes have a level of challenge attached by the hills that they encounter and so, some basic level bike handling would be advised before taking this on.

What’s included with your event ticket?

• Event t-shirt to help you remember this unique challenge
• Entry to prize draw supported by Clive Mitchell Cycles www.clivemitchellcycles.co.uk
• Snacks and drinks at feed stations around the course
• Free parking at Land’s End for Cornish residents
• Priceless sense of achievement

To enter and to find out all the information head to RNLI Land’s End Sportive – Sun, 18th May 2025 

Another local cycle event is the Land’s End 100 being held on the 13th September 2025. It starts in Marazion, which is about a 15-20 minutes’ drive from St Ives, next to the iconic St Michael’s Mount. This event has a short route (46 miles) and medium route (72 miles) and a long route (104 miles). This event offers quiet roads and breathtaking views. Again, all of these routes have a level of challenge and so some bike handling skills and confidence riding on roads would be beneficial. Tickets and more info can be found here.

This is a professionally run event, just take a look at what you get:

• Quality Feed stations
• RFID chip timing
• Medals for all finishers
• Gold, Silver & Bronze standards
• Event t-shirt for all
• Live online results
• Event photos
• Mechanical support & broom wagon
• Rider Recovery Service
• Public Liability Insurance
• Professional First Aid Cover
• HQ with toilets, parking & food

Photo Credit: sportivaevents.photohawk.com

There are some epic runs close to St Ives taking in the coast path. There is the 44-mile Classic Quarter in May, which starts at the Lizard and finishes at Land’s End. This can be undertaken solo, as a pair or as a team of four and further information can be found here. This is a big event and has a lot of support out on the route. Local residents really enjoy getting behind this as many of the competitors sign up and complete the event raising money for charities. For more information and to register, here is the link to click on.

An adventure race named Man Vs Coast, held on the 5th July, is advertised as “a trail event with a twist”. You start at Marazion Beach and the 25 mile route takes in high cliffs, brooding moorland, picture-perfect beaches, crashing waves, big swells, rough-hewn rocks, water jumps, short swims and a few cheeky surprises. This really is one for the adventurous at heart and those wanting something different and bit on the wild side. A challenge without a shadow of a doubt! Fancy a go? Click here for more information and to register your place. 

The Rat trail and ultra-festival is held in August and it is organised by a Cornish company called Mud Crew. It is a bit further away from St Ives, based near St Austell but well worth the drive and is an event not to be missed. Several distances, five in total, mean that there is something for everyone. The event is honest about the level of challenge involved as there are some tough sections of coast path and fairly strict time cut offs but the atmosphere and scenery make it all worthwhile. All information, including entry, course maps, and route descriptions can be found here. The routes are colour coded with the shortest distance being 11 miles also known as the white Rat. The distances increase from here until you get to ultra-distances and then there is a 24 hour race, where runners complete as many laps of a 5 mile course as they can in the 24 hour time period. Battling sleep deprivation as well as tired muscles will be a sure way to earn your holiday cottage get away.

If you would like to know more and register your place, click here.

Photo Credit: arcofattrition.utmb.world

The run that is the most well-known and possibly the most gruelling is the ARC of Attrition. There is strict entry criteria and mandatory kit lists to get to the start line of this race. 100 miles on the coast path with an elevation gain of 4900m! There are also an Arc 50, Arc 25 and an Arc 12 which provides shorter taster options. This event is one that will require a great deal of planning and preparation for and takes place in January. The 2026 dates are already available being from the 22nd to the 25th January 2026. The local support is incredible even in the middle of the night and the early hours, everyone is routing for the participants. It is one many dream of completing and one that gives some nightmares, you have been warned!

It is no surprise that St Ives is the start for some fantastic swim events with its turquoise waters and fantastic options for viewing the water.
On the evening of the 28th June St Ives Surf Lifesaving Club are hosting their annual Biathlon event. There is a junior 800m event and an open event of 2000m. This has a short run from the Sloop to Carbis Bay beach which is a perfect warm up before swimming back from Carbis Bay to the Harbour in St Ives. This is a swimmers’ event and although there is water safety cover, I would strongly suggest that you ensure that you are capable of swimming the distance as it is quite a long swim route. More info and pre -entry (which means you can select a T-shirt size) can be found here.

Photo Credit: madhattersportsevents.co.uk/swimfestival

On the 14th September, Carbis Bay hosts a swim festival which is organised by another brilliant Cornish based organisation called Mad Hatter Sports. They organise swim events as well as running and multisport events. The swim festival will have several distances that can be entered and are run over a 1km loop. People can take on a 1km, 2km, 3km or even do a combination of distances or all three! All information can be found here. Their website is particularly helpful as it has photos of previous years events and so you can see what to expect from any of their events.

Cornwall has several multi-sports events with triathlon being the most popular.

Marazion is the base for a big multi-sport event being held on the 31st May. For the first time there is a half ironman distance alongside an Olympic and Sprint distances. There are also swim and bike events and other combinations that give everyone an opportunity to participate. More information about this event can be found by clicking on this website.

For the those of you who are not keen on biking, Mad Hatter run a different kind of triathlon on the 3rd May called a swim-SUP-run. The ultimate alternative triathlon for all skill levels. The traditional bike leg is replaced with a Stand-Up Paddle board!

So, whether you’re a novice or experienced triathlete, this proves to be a different kind of challenge. The tri starts with a 750m sea swim. Once completed and transition on the beach, you’ll pick up your SUP and jump aboard for a 1.5km paddle before returning to the beach and into transition. Here you’ll leave your SUP and get your trainers on for the final leg, a loop of Carlyon Bay golf course to Spit beach and back to finish.

The event is open to both individual and relay entries so, if you don’t fancy doing all three disciplines, grab a mate or two and do one each! Again, details of this can be found here