Challenging sports events along the North Sea coastline – PWN Egmond Half Marathon and AGU Egmond-Pier-Egmond ATB beach race

Egmond aan Zee (The Netherlands), 24 October 2013 – On 11 and 12 January 2014 thousands of sports enthusiasts will come to the Dutch coastal town of Egmond aan Zee to participate in the PWN Egmond Half Marathon or the AGU Egmond-Pier-Egmond ATB beach race.

These heroic events, which run along the beach and through the dunes, attract 17,500 runners and 3,500 bikers each year. The fields will include hundreds of athletes from countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Sweden.

Participating in Egmond aan Zee is challenging. The PWN Egmond Half Marathon is the toughest 21.1 km in Holland because of the unpredictable weather, the sandy beach, dunes, wind and low temperatures. Dutch runners refer to this event as a real winter classic, and one which you have to experience at least once in your life. Every year, international top athletes such as Vincent Kipruto, one of Kenya's top-class marathon runners, come to Egmond to compete in this unique race. He came second last year behind the talented Abera Kuma from Ethiopia.

On 11 January, one day before the half-marathon, the AGU Egmond-Pier-Egmond is being held for the 16^th time. This 36 km ATB beach race is the largest beach race in the Benelux and starts at the Egmond aan Zee boulevard. The course takes the participants across the beach to Wijk aan Zee, where the 17 km turning point is situated. Every year, the very best Dutch cyclists battle against one another to win this race. Last year's race was won by Marianne Vos, the 2012 Olympic women's road race champion and the World Champion in 2013.

Get your New Year off to a great start and enter one of these heroic events. Registration for both events is open until 15 December 2013. Those who are looking for an extra challenge, can enter both events and join the so called ‘Combination Ranking'.

More information can be found at www.pwnegmondhalvemarathon.nl or www.aguegmondpieregmond.nl.

Those who prefer to walk can come to Egmond aan Zee on the 25 and 26 January for the PWN Egmond Walking Marathon. This walking event consists of two beautiful routes along the beach and through the North Holland Dune Reserve.

More information and registration can be found at www.pwnegmondwandelmarathon.nl.

Simone Richardson