THE SPORTSSHOES #GETAPIC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2019

**ENTRIES NOW CLOSED***

The competition winner is John Allan (ENTRY NO.1) for his photograph of Helen Buchan, taken during her Bob Graham Round attempt

1ST PLACE!

If you’re like me, then you’ll love taking photographs during a run. So why not enter your favourite personal photograph of 2019 and be in with a chance of winning a free pair of inov-8 X-TALON G 235 !!

It costs nothing to enter and ALL entrants will be showcased online.

Prize

The winner of the competition will receive;

• 1 X FREE pair of inov-8 X-Talon G 235 (RRP. £139.99)

*In the unlikely event of these shoes being unavailable in your size, you will be offered a suitable alternative.

How to Enter

• You can enter via my Facebook page or email (ben_mounsey@hotmail.com). Please include a copy of your photograph, along with your name, a short description and the date it was taken (see example below).
• Don’t forget to tag me in any entries on Facebook so I can see them!
• LIKE & SHARE the post and include the hashtags #sportsshoes #GetAPic
• All entrants will be showcased here on my website www.benmounsey.net and the winning photograph shared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

EXAMPLE ENTRY:

BEN MOUNSEY – ‘A GRAN DAY OUT!’

Gran Canaria (1st March 2019)

The best £5 I’ve ever spent on airfare. Blitzing and blazing the trails in Gran Canaria with Kirsty Hall, Sarah McCormack, Heidi Davies, Tom Adams, Jack Wood and Joe Baxter. A ‘Gran’ day out!

Entry Rules

• Photographs must have been taken by the person entering the competition
• Entrants can only submit 1 photograph each
• Photographs must have been taken during a walk/run/cycle (January 1^st – December 31^st 2019)
• Entries are open from December 29th 2019 – January 3rd 2020

The winner will be judged by the Sportsshoes team and announced via social media shortly after the closing date.

#sportsshoes #GetAPic #NoFunStandingStill #inov8

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COMPETITION ENTRIES 2019:

JUST TO BE CLEAR…THE ENTRIES ARE NUMBERED IN ORDER OF WHEN PEOPLE ENTERED THE COMPETITION – JOHN JUST HAPPENED TO ENTER FIRST! )

1. JOHN ALLAN – LEG 5 BG (WINNER!)

The Lake District (14th July 2019)

Photo taken during Helen Buchan’s Bob Graham Round attempt 2019.

 

2. GIOVANNI TOWER TORRE – Rupert’s Trail

The Amalfi Coast, Italia (2019)

Exploring the paths of Rupert’s Trail, 2019 edition.

 

3. KRIS LEE – LONG AWAITED RUN

The Lake District (22nd August 2019)

The long awaited first run in my G260 mudclaws over Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Great Rigg and Stone Arthur.

 

4. NICK OWEN – (UNTITLED)

Llandwyn Beach, Anglesey (4th October 2019)

Evening run making the most of the daylight chasing my 8 year old daughter (in her x-talon 212) around the forest and sand dunes.

 

5. JAMES WILLIAMSON – “I SEE A LITTLE SILHOUETTE…”

The Panopticon (10th March 2019)

A cold run in fading light with my son Archie over The panopticon (a.k.a. ‘The singing ringing tree’)

 

6. PATRICK WARDLE – “LOO WITH A VIEW”

The Lake District (22nd June 2019 at 5:22am)

I call it “Loo with a view” supporting Tom on his BG, he smashed his target time of by 2 hours doing it in 20:09! It was a fab day in the hills.

 

7. CHRIS FARRIMOND – “DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME?”

The Lake District (6th April 2019)

9. DECLAN BULMER – “HIGH UP IN THE HIGHLANDS”

 

10. AMJID KHAN – “SUNRISE ON THE CANAL”

The sun rising through the trees on the Rochdale canal. Not a person in sight. Beautiful.
Taken on 29th December by myself whilst on a run.

 

11. GERALD GRECH – “TRAIL ON FIRE”

 

12. MARK ANTHONY ROGERSON – “UNTITLED”

This was taken on a run up Gowbarrow fell including Aira Force. Being back on the fells to get views like this down Ullswater.

 

 

13. ALISTAIR NASH – “ALI’S GUEST RUN”

Ali’s ‘Guest Run’ (new) rules…. beast your pals on the fells then find time for a cream tea…..in a ski lift….in Addingham.

 

14. PAUL MYERS – “X-CITED”

 

 

15. ALUN WOOD – “UNTITLED”

 

18. LAURENCE MARTIN – “UNTITLED”

Autumn sunshine in Tong village. Catching some early morning rays of sunshine before heading back into the valley during my long run.

 

19. DAVE MIDDLEMASS – “UNTITLED”

 

 

46. SIMON TAYLOR – “UNTITLED“

Fell Running with my twin boys at The Great Hill with Darwen Tower and Pendle Hill, Lancashire in the background.

 

47. PETE LLOYD – “UNTITLED“

Embsay Crag Maffetone run (walk), early December 2019.

 

48. ROB MORTI – “UNTITLED“

This is my favourite photo of 2019… This was taken by my fellow club mate Catherine Slater as I was starting to feel the pain on my Bob Graham Round on the 14th September. I am climbing the path towards the base of Bowfell with the sun rising over the Langdales and Rossett Pike. Was so proud to complete my round in 23 hours 3 mins.

 

49. BEN HARTLEY – “UNTITLED“

Little trot on Crib Goch. Set off at 3am to see the sunrise. Beautiful day.

 

50. JOCASTA FLETCHER – “UNTITLED“

Sunset on a Tuesday night pack run – Stoodley Pike West Yorkshire.

 

51. PAUL SUMNER – “UNTITLED“

Commuting in Wigan, snapped whilst catching my breath on a run home from work.. Picture is the sunset across Scotsman’s Flash.

 

52. GLYNN JENNISON – “UNTITLED“

 

 

60. JILL HOLMES – “UNTITLED“

Quick drink stop on the Kentmere Horseshoe, inov-8’s now worn out!

 

61. TAMSIN COOKE – “SUMMER SOLSTICE SUNSET“

Summer solstice sunset: a two-day walk. High up in Calderdale with James Cooke, Toby Sid, Richard Sunderland, Charlotte Wetton & Liam Edward Matthew Williams.

 

62. ADAM OLIVER – “UNTITLED“

 

 

66. CHERYL SPEIGHT – “UNTITLED“

 

 

68. DAVE CULPAN – “UNTITLED“

Sheepstones, above Hebden Bridge, a wintry morning.

 

69. MARK TAYLOR – “UNTITLED“

Approaching Snowden Summit.

70. DIANE MACDONALD – “UNTITLED“

82. SARAH WRIGHT – “UNTITLED“

Arthur’s Pike, August. First fell run after injury rehab.

 

83. ANDREW SLATTERY – “HISTORY IN THE MAKING“

Paul Tierney on a brief coke break as night fell on Bannerdale Crags during his epic record run of the 214 Wainwright fells.

 

84. OWEN BARNICOTT – “UNTITLED“

Trying to catch a pic of the wife during a drizzly run around Derwent. When the pooch made unexpected appearances.

 

85. MEL PRICE – “SEEING OFF 2019“

Snowdon, Rhyd Ddu path, Caernarfon

 

Black Crag, The Lake District.

 

87. SPANIEL BENTLEY – “BURNS NIGHT HANGOVER CURE“

 

90. RICK CRABTREE – “UNTITLED“

This was taken at Sango Sands, Durness , in late October, on my eve run whilst doing the North coast 500 trip.

91. ROB OWEN – “UNTITLED“

Sorry I’m currently semi-retired.

 

92. ED NEWBOULD – “A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS“

Faithful running buddy Ned taking in the Lakeland views. Catbells.

 

93. NEIL ‘BRAVESHORTS’ WALLACE – “A STORM BEYOND“

The 2019 Three Peaks Race, following the running snake to Ribblehead and back towards Pen-y-Ghent.

 

94. ROB REID – “UNTITLED“

Cat Bells, looking Derwentwater to Keswick and Skiddaw. Taken on a trip round the Newlands Horseshoe.

 

 

95. MIKE FANNING AKA. TFM – “KEEP YOUR EYES TO THE HORIZON AND YOUR NOSE TO THE WIND”

 

98. LEON SEVERN – “UNTITLED”

Out for a solo reccie of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks race, with Ribblehead Viaduct in the foreground and Whernside in the background.

 

99. GAV DODD – “UNTITLED”

 

 

100. JOANNE AINSLEY PERRY – “TIME TO PLAY, BEFORE THE WORKING DAY”

Early run towards the sun – 6am run (nr Wycoller).

 

101. CHRIS JACKSON – “UNTITLED”

Glen Coe, September 2019.

102. ROSE GEORGE – “FELL NINJA”

No kilt but a Scotsman in Scotland, atop Merrick in the hills of Galloway,, during Wigtown Festival.

 

103. ALEX FROST – “UNTITLED”

Last race of the year no52 Auld lang Syne.

 

104. TOM PHILLIPS – “UNTITLED”

Unusual trail running near Chelva (Spain) Built to carry water by Romans 2000 years ago – now makes a sublime section of trail running!

 

105. JIM HARRIS – “UNTITLED”

 

 

107. STEVE HOOK – “SCAFELL PIKE FROM SEATHWAITE”

A SPORT ON THE UP!

There is no denying that over the last few years, there has been a huge increase in the popularity and growth of trail and mountain running. As more people continue to hit the trails, the future of our sport looks extremely promising. This steep surge in participation has also risen significantly within the UK and Ireland, with an increased representation of our athletes in European mountain races. These are exciting times to be a mountain runner and I’m very proud to consider myself part of this growing movement.

Now don’t get me wrong, we’re certainly not the first runners from the UK and Ireland to venture into Europe in search of new and exciting races. Early pioneers, such as Billy Burns, Martin Cox, Anne Buckley and Angela Mudge, have been doing it for years and have enjoyed a huge amount of success.

“THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT LOOKS EXTREMELY PROMISING…THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES TO BE A MOUNTAIN RUNNER“

But this is different. Different because I’m not just talking about a handful of athletes, now we’re more like an army, invading Europe and entering races on mass. Inspired by the achievements of others, our ranks are swelling in size. Leading the line are the famous names of Robbie Simpson and Victoria Wilkinson, newly-crowned World Cup winners Andy Douglas and Sarah McCormack, Skyrunning champion, Holly Page, European champions and medal winners Jacob Adkin, Sarah Tunstall, Emmie Collinge and Emma Moran. The list goes on. British and Irish mountain runners are flocking to the continent to compete and we’re giving our European counterparts a real run for their money. The lure? Aside from the prizes, the chance to run in truly amazing places, compete against some of the best athletes in the world and most importantly, enjoy new and exciting experiences. There are literally hundreds of races out there and thousands of trails and mountains just waiting to be explored.

Take the Trofeo Vanoni relay, in Northern Italy, as one such example. In 2006, only one woman and one men’s team from the UK and Ireland entered the race. This year, a staggering total of ten women and nine men’s teams competed. It’s a huge contrast, but it’s also easy to see why this particular race has become so popular.

Continue reading below…

👉 https://www.sportsshoes.com/trail/trail-running/trail-runs/the-magic-of-the-trofeo-vanoni-mountain-running-relay/

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THE NEW INOV-8 X-TALON G 235

inov-8 first launched the X-Talon back in 2008 and I’ve been racing in this range of shoe ever since. Like all fans of inov-8, I’ve been waiting patiently for the release of the new X-Talon G 235 and I’m delighted to say that they do not disappoint.

For me, the G 235 is a shoe that combines the very best features of the X-Talon 210 and the X-Talon 230. It’s a perfect hybrid version of both successful models.

I love the 210’s because they’re so lightweight and the grip is outstanding. However, this love does come at a price. They only usually last about 200-250 miles and I wear out quite a few pairs over the length of a season. This is where the G 235 impress. Not only are they comfortable and lightweight, they’re built to last and don’t need ‘wearing in’. They also offer a similar protective quality and feel to the X-Talon 230. The upper materials are made from hard wearing ballistic nylon, with a black printed rubber rand wrapped around the front of the shoe. It’s worth mentioning that, like the 230, there is a rock plate built into the mid-sole, for additional protection against sharp rocks. The combination of these materials and protective features make the new X-Talon G 235 the ideal choice for running over extreme and rugged terrain.

For a lightweight racing shoe, the G 235 is extremely comfortable to wear. The precision fit suits the shape of my feet and I like the split shape of the gusseted* tongue (*this means that it’s been stitched to the inside of the shoe and helps prevents mud and debris getting in). Both of these features really help to improve the fit and feel of the shoe.

I also love the fact that I raced in these shoes straight out of the box. I first wore them for the Hodgson Brothers Relay in the Lake District in October. I slipped them on 10 minutes before the race and quickly made the decision to use them. They immediately felt comfortable and the fit and feel gave me enough confidence to race in them before testing at length.

The G 235 is a tough-wearing, high-performing lightweight racing shoe. I’ve worn this shoe to run in the Lakeland Fells, the Yorkshire Dales, the Alps, the Pyrenees and also on the Costa Blanca trails. It is primarily built to tackle soft and muddy ground, but it easily handles all other types of extreme terrain, from wet mountain rock to hard-packed trails. So far I’ve clocked over 200 miles, with minimal signs of wear. This improved durability is undoubtably the most impressive feature of the new X-Talon G 235. The combination of Graphene with STICKY GRIP rubber means that they will now last up to 50% longer than previous X-Talon models and most importantly, with an upper that’s just as strong.  I would predict that I’ll get at least 600-750 miles out of the G235 before I’ll need to consider replacing them.

So if you need an off-road racing shoe that’s lightweight, comfortable, durable, and protective, with unrivalled grip across all types of off-road terrain, then look no further – you’ve just found exactly what you’re looking for.

SPECIFICATION:

WEIGHT: 235g (average over size curve)

DROP: 6mm

LUG DEPTH: 8mm

WIDTH (1-5): 2 Precision fit

RECOMMENDED FOR: Racing on serious off-road terrain

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW

 

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