Cycle routes are multiplying in Bristol, in the wake of its becoming England's first Cycling City. The region’s hilly terrain means that there are many opportunities for off-road and mountain biking in local woodland. If you're after a more leisurely and communal experience, Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride draws thousands of wheeled participants to the city's streets for one day each summer.
The streets of Bristol are cleared every September for the Bristol Half-Marathon, one of the UK’s most popular half-marathons and one of several annual running events held as part of the RunBristol initiative. The route is at sea level and winds through the city centre, along the Avon Gorge and under the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
Rugby is big in the South-West, and Bristol is no exception. Bristol Rugby, current holders of the British and Irish Cup, are based at the 12,000-capacity Memorial Stadium in Horfield, north of the city.
Bristol has two football league clubs: arch rivals Bristol City and Bristol Rovers. But if playing rather than watching is more your thing, there are community clubs like the Easton Cowboys and Cowgirls, who have grown to include several men’s and women’s football teams, four cricket teams, two netball teams and a kids' club.
