Swim, run, trip and row for charity: 10 challenges for 2026 within the UK, Europe and past | Well being and health holidays

Scilly Swim Challenge, Cornwall

SwimQuest’s annual Isles of Scilly problem is a 15km island-hopping swim, damaged into 5 periods with walks in between. The longest swim is the 6km leg from St Agnes to Bryher; the shortest is 600 metres from Bryher to Tresco; and the island walks in between are not than 45 minutes. Swimmers can decide to finish the problem in a single robust day, or area it out over two – there’s a get together after each occasions.
Entry is £299 for the one-day problem on 20 September or £379 for 2 days (17 and 18 September), no minimal fundraising, scillyswimchallenge.co.uk

Ultra Challenge, throughout the UK

With 18 annual occasions, Ultra Challenge is without doubt one of the UK’s greatest collection of treks and path runs. Fundraising is elective however widespread – there are 600-plus charities to select from and the occasions increase greater than £12m a yr for good causes. Despite the identify, it doesn’t should be ultra-challenging; newcomers can attempt a 10km taster trek, and construct as much as 25km, 50km and even 100km, and members stroll or run at their very own tempo. There’s a number of assist, too, from a coaching app to shuttle buses to the occasions, plus a medal, therapeutic massage and meal on the finish. Locations embody coastlines and countryside in England and Wales; new this yr is Scarborough to Whitby.
Registration and really helpful fundraising varies; subsequent occasions are London Winter Walk, 24 and 25 January and the Bath 50, 28 March, ultrachallenge.com

Ride the Route, London loop

Railway Children is a charity that helps younger folks dwelling on the road, or susceptible to it, within the UK, India and Tanzania. Its annual Ride the Route occasion is a three-day group cycle trip protecting greater than 200 miles, requiring a “moderate to good” stage of health and sufficient coaching to resist six to eight hours a day within the saddle. The route adjustments yearly and at all times follows a railway line. This yr it’s a round route following the High Speed 1 line from London to Folkestone, persevering with alongside the coast to Brighton, then again to London.
£50 for sooner or later’s biking with £150 fundraising pledge, or £75 for all three days, with a £350 fundraising pledge, 3-6 September, railwaychildren.org.uk

Race the Sun, England

This is a group problem for 2 to 4 folks throughout three disciplines: biking, mountain climbing and canoeing/ kayaking. It’s not a relay – all group members should cycle 23-34 miles, hike 6-10 miles and paddle 2 miles. The quickest groups race across the course in 5 hours; others take from daybreak to nightfall. There are 5 races: a brand new one on the South Downs (25 April), plus Cheddar Gorge (11 July), the Jurassic Coast (27 June) and two in the Lake District (13 June and 15 September). All occasions are in help of Action Medical Research.
£120 for 2, £240 for 4, minimal fundraising £1,000/£2,000, action.org.uk

Lake 24 Peaks Challenge, Cumbria

This Hatt Adventures occasion is a troublesome problem that requires a excessive stage of health: climbing 24 Lake District peaks in 24 hours, all of them over 700 metres (2,400ft). Groups sort out 10 mountains on the 14-hour first day (together with Scafell Pike, England’s highest) and 14 mountains over 10 hours on the second day. The price features a 12-week health plan; transport from Manchester, Birmingham, London or Brighton; two nights’ bunkhouse keep; two buffet breakfasts, packed lunches and pub dinners; and a professional mountain chief. The firm additionally runs Yorkshire and UK Three Peaks Challenges.
£5,600 for teams of eight to 12, April to October, fundraise what you’ll be able to for a charity of your selection, thehatt.co.uk

SupBikeRun, England and Wales

This is a triathlon with a distinction: as a substitute of open-water swimming, it begins with paddleboarding, adopted by both mountain biking or highway biking, then a path run. The shorter race is a 3k paddleboarding, 15k mountain biking (or 21k on highway) and a 5k run; the longer one is double and there’s additionally a three-person group relay. The occasions happen at lakeside areas in mid-Wales (16-17 May), Devon (11-12 July) and the Lake District (12-13 September) – tenting and household and pals welcome.
From £65pp (group) or £123 (particular person), board rent £16, tenting further, fundraise what you’ll be able to for a charity of your selection, supbikerun.co.uk

Great River Race, London

London’s “river marathon” is an annual 21.6-mile boat race from Millwall within the east to Ham, Richmond, within the south-west, passing underneath 28 of town’s well-known bridges. It is for fixed-seat rowing boats solely, and the two,500 opponents vary from record-breaking athletes to pals in fancy gown. Crews can camp on the Thames Young Mariners campsite, a couple of minutes’ stroll from the top of the race, from Thursday to Sunday (the race is on Saturday). There is a barbecue and bar on the Friday night time, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a switch bus to the start line.
Entry £80 adults/£60 underneath 18s, fundraise for a charity of your selection, entries open on 1 April, race on 12 September, greatriverrace.org.uk

SuperHalfs, Europe

If one half marathon isn’t sufficient of a problem, how about six? The SuperHalfs collection rewards runners who full the Cardiff, Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen and Valencia half marathons with a SuperMedal. More than the medal, the collection is “For the fun of running. For the thrill of travel. And for the joy of saying ‘I did it!’” In return for a minimal fundraising goal, entrants can decide a charity from an intensive checklist for assured entry into their chosen race or your complete collection.
£175 refundable deposit for entry into all six races, minimal fundraising goal £1,950; 8 March Lisbon; 28 March Prague; 29 March Berlin; 20 September Copenhagen; 4 October Cardiff; 25 October Valencia; superhalfs.com

24-hour snowboarding relay, French Alps

The ski resort of Le Grand-Bornand in the French Alps hosts an annual 24-hour nonstop snowboarding problem in help of kids’s charities. Teams of eight to 10 ski relay laps of a straightforward intermediate slope, which is appropriate for anybody simply above newbie stage, from 2pm on Saturday to 2pm on Sunday. Each group should full between 4 and 12 laps each hour. In 2025, 158 groups took half, and since it started in 2008, Glisse en Coeur has raised nearly €5.5m for 4 charities. There is a carnival environment, with a live performance on the slopes, superstar appearances and plenty of cheering spectators.
€690 for a group of 10, plus €500 minimal fundraising, 20-22 March, legrandbornand.com

Hyrox health races, worldwide

Hyrox has taken in off in recognition – 550,000 keep-fitters competed in round 85 indoor races in additional than 30 nations across the world final yr. The format is identical globally, comprising a 1km run adopted by a “functional workout station” (varied pushes, pulls, jumps, carries, and many others), repeated eight occasions. It is open to “everyday fitness enthusiasts”, with no entry {qualifications} or time limits.
The UK occasions are in help of Macmillan Cancer Support; £64 entry plus £400 minimal fundraising; 21-25 January in Manchester, 11-15 March in Glasgow, 24-29 March in London and 29 April to 4 May in Cardiff; hyrox.com