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ON is a Swiss company and another of the relatively 'new kids on the block'. A real 'disruptor' in the running shoe industry, it's another that started life in the triathlon world, before becoming established in road running. As its popularity grows it has moved across to mainstream fashion, just like many before it.

One of the most successful companies in the world Nike was founded as recently as 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight and was known initially as Blue Ribbon Sports. Seven years later it took on the name with which we are all now so familiar, being named after the Greek goddess of victory. It's one of the most successful companies in the world and it's safe to say that most of us have worn a pair of Nike shoes at some point in our lives. But what about their running shoes?

Honolulu is a tough place to run, unless you're used to heat and humidity. If you live in somewhere like Singapore this one would be fairly straightforward but coming from the mainland US in December it's tough. But then 'tough' is a challenge and challenges are good. The Honolulu Marathon weekend is made up of 4 events, a mile and 5k on Saturday and the 10k and the Marathon on Sunday. We tried out the 10k. We'll do the Marathon another time :)

The second biggest sportswear manufacturer in the world after Nike, Adidas is a German company that began life in 1924 as Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, the brainchild of the Dassler brothers. In 1948 they had a major falling out, leading to the creation of Puma. Adolf founded adidas and Rudolf created Puma. Running shoes were an early part of the Adidas, but they have not always been a priority.

There aren't many running shoe manufacturers that only make running shoes. Brooks is one of them. They have seemingly been around for ever and most runners who have been pounding the miles for a while will have had a pair of brooks. The likes of Ghost, Glycerin and Adrenaline have been part of the running world for years and can always been be relied on. They are available in over 60 countries so if you love running the chances are that you'll try them at some point.

The name consists of the acronym of the Latin expression, Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning “a sound mind in a sound body”. It is the philosophy under which the company operates, and the fundamental platform on which it still stands. ASICS’ long-standing corporate vision is to “create quality lifestyle through intelligent sport technology”.

One of the most popular running apps, Runkeeper uses the GPS technology found in your phone to track your fitness activity, giving you results comparable to a GPS watch. The intuitive and easy-to-use interface of the app makes it easy to track how far you went, how long it took, what your pace/speed was, how many calories you burned, and the path you travelled on a map! The website stores all the information.

Swimming: it's non loading bearing, a great stress buster, an all over workout, and it burns calories in a big way, what's not to love?

Veggies are essential to all diets, let alone a runner's diet, but most of us don't get enough. We don't have a problem eating potatoes but it's the green ones that most of us don't get enough of. And the other ones that are really good for you like beets etc. We'll discuss them here and detail the best ones for runners.

It's not one of the World Marathon Majors but the Paris Marathon is still right up there as one of the big ones; one of the marathons where you just know you're going to be seeing some of the most recognisable landmarks on the globe and where you'll be rubbing shoulders with tens of thousands of other runners. It doesn't have quite the spectator support in places, as the likes of London and New York, but it is still well worth ticking off the list. We tell you more.

Dubai shares the spotlight with some of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. One of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, the city is home to more than 200 nationalities and offers an unforgettable experience to all visitors. One of these is the Dubai Marathon and 10k that starts in the shadow of the iconic Burj Al Arab. It's a flat course and the weather during race month is perfect.

If you're taking part in an upcoming major marathon you need to think really carefully about taking part in a big race beforehand.

The Royal Parks Half Marathon in the heart of London takes in some of the capital's world-famous landmarks, on closed roads and within four of London's eight Royal Parks - Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens. It was set up by The Royal Parks charity as an annual fundraising initiative to help conserve and enhance London’s eight Royal Parks and at the same time it encourages runners to raise what they can for their favourite charities.

Some runners go through their whole running careers training on their own. Others always run with a partner and some only run in groups. There are so many great running clubs catering to all abilities now that meet multiple times a week, making this is a much better option than it used to be. Many runner combine the three approaches. What works for you? Here we look at the pros and cons of running with others.

When you have tens of thousands of runners running a major, 10k, half or full marathon it doesn't take many runners doing the wrong thing for the race to become more challenging for others than it needs to be. Yes, there is such a thing as etiquette in distance running and here we'll discuss the best ways to ensure you get as much as possible from your race and that those around you do the same.

Between 2010 and 2020 novelty runs, mostly 5k events, were everywhere. Colour runs and inflatable runs and many more besides sprung up in double quick time and every town and city seemed to have multiple options. Then as quickly as they arrived, they were gone. There are still some around and they are good fun, so if you get the chance they are something different and a way to experience a different side to running!

One of the most sought after half marathons anywhere in the world, the New York City Half Marathon is another for the bucket list. It starts in Brooklyn and finishes in Central Park, through the heart of New York City and famous landmarks such as Central Park, Times Square, and Grand Central Station. It doesn't get much better than that. It's tough to get a spot but there are ways.

You've finished your run and you head inside and grab a shower. Right? No! Just like it's important to warm up before a run, it's really important to cool down after a run. Here we have a look at why that's the case and how you go about it. These few extra minutes are definitely worth it!