The IWX Challenge (Isle of Wight eXtreme) is a grueling 12 hour adventure race set on the seas and land of the Isle of Wight. Designed as an ultimate challenge for the 240 competitors, IWX will involve racing in the prestigious 68ft Clipper 'round the world' yachts, mountain biking, a military assault course and a demanding cross-country run. IWX will test the fitness, mental toughness, stamina and resolve of every participant. Taking part is one thing, finishing it is a real achievement.

The race is initially open to BMF Members through this newsletter but will soon be open to corporate teams, if you want to grab one of the few places available you will need to sign up very soon as we anticipate demand for this event with it's unique sailing / land race to be very high. Click here to sign up.

Through the event we hope to raise £100,000 for the charity Help for Heroes www.helpforheroes.org.uk which is doing a fantastic job helping those heroes from our armed forces who have been injured whilst fighting for our country.

Our BMF London Military 5k & 10k return in October this year! This event sells out extremely fast, so if you are interested you should pay your entry ASAP.

The event will once again be held on private land near Redhill, Surrey. The race itself is off-road, run with water obstacles, muddy sections, trees, hills and even a swimming pool! (it's empty...). Our Military 5k & 10k are tough races! Do not expect a walk in the park...!

We have a number of charities already involved in our Military 5k & 10k, and if you would like to run for a good cause, please consider one of our charities listed on the Events homepage. For further information and to reserve your place in the event, please click here.

After the success of our first Scottish Military 10k back in March, we are back in Scotland again in November this year. The race will again take place in the Pentlands Hills just south of Edinburgh. The start point will be near Dreghorn Barracks.

Expect a tough run! Hills, mud, water, sheep & gorgeous scenery!

For further information and to reserve your place in the event, please click here.. We look forward to seeing you there!

After the success of our Isle of Wight bank-holiday weekend, we have made plans for another weekend away on the August bank-holiday weekend, 22 - 25 August 2008.

We're heading to the Dorset and East Devon Coast - also known as The Jurassic Coast. We will be camping for the duration of the trip and each camp site has been chosen specifically so we see the best of the Jurassic coastline. Each site is also conveniently located near a pub for evening meals and social drinks with everyone.

The event can hold up to 32 members, and for further information and to reserve your place in the event, please click here.

As promised, we have another BMF weekend away in the calendar! We are heading to Llangorse in South Wales for a social/adventure weekend on September 26th - 28th 2008.

We will be horse riding, walking, orienteering, taking on a high ropes course and getting wet and muddy on a water activity we have planned!

The event can hold up to 38 members, and for further information and to reserve your place in the event, please click here.

We are having a BMF Picnic Day in Hyde Park on Saturday 19th July and ALL BMF members, families, friends and colleagues are invited. It's FREE - all you need to do is rock up to the usual BMF meeting point in car park south of the Serpentine. Please see the website for the map, from 12.00 noon onwards.

Please bring your own picnic lunch, blanket and drinks. We will have some games (rounders / frisbee etc) on hand for people to get involved in if you want or you can just relax and enjoy the food and drink!

If the weather takes a turn for the worst, please check our website in the week prior for further details on any changes that have been made.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, our November Kinabalu Challenge attracted an overwhelming response and is now sold out. We are planning another Kinabalu Challenge for February 2009.

For those that haven't heard of our Kinabalu Challenge before, it's a 10 day trip to the jungles of Borneo where teams of 4 compete in a series of challenges including mountain biking, running, white water rafting, bamboo rafting, kayaking and racing up Mt Kinabalu the highest mountain in south East Asia. There's also a helicopter ride into the jungle... You do not need to sign up as an entire team. Many sign up as individuals also and are matched to a team.

The February Challenge is now live on our website and for further information and to reserve your place in the event, please click here.

On the 2nd Bank-holiday weekend in May, 30 members headed over to the Isle of Wight for a challenge/social weekend. We stayed in an ex-military battery right on the coast and took part in activities such as mountain biking, walking, beach cricket and an assault course.

The weekend was a huge success!

'Thank you so much. How fabulous! You were all fabulous and I had a marvelous time. Have to admit to being exhausted for a while afterwards.... But what a great way to spend a weekend.' Rachel, Hyde Park

'Thank you for organising such a great weekend. The walking/ biking/ BBQ/ beers and assault course were the perfect combination for one of my favourite weekends!' Susie, Battersea

Andrew Sargent is a sports physiotherapist with for Six Physio. Six physio has seven London locations. See www.sixphysio.com for details.

Six Physio has recently started working with BMF and as part of our association we will be contributing to your newsletter and providing Physio services at BMF events.!

Andrew has written an article with advice on summer training. Click here to read it.

Have you ever considered becoming a Samaritan? All of us, at some time in our lives, feel anxious, upset, unable to cope - for some, these feelings can become too much. Samaritans is an organisation providing confidential support to those in need. They listen, don't judge, and don't offer advice. There are branches around the country, and are always looking for new recruits to help provide valuable support via phone, e-mail or face-to-face. BMF member Rick Hewland is a volunteer: "It's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done - my ability to listen and support others has vastly improved. Volunteering gives me a sense of putting something back, and I find my outlook on my own problems has changed with the perspective it brings." Training is comprehensive, with experienced volunteers to support you through it. The commitment is flexible too, with only 13 hours over 3 shifts each month (in London), and the ability to reschedule them. For more information about volunteering, call 08705 62 72 82 or click here.

Eco Group are offering BMF members a discount of 20% off all products they produce on-site. The Group's current eateries include 'Eco Restaurant' on Clapham High Street & Chiswick High Road, 'Esca Deli and Patisserie', Clapham and 'Absolutely Starving' on Tooley Street, London Bridge. For more information, and the promotional code that you will have to quote, please click here to log into the BMF members area.

Stuck for a holiday this year? BMFer Bernard Dugdale runs Chain Gang Cycles. Chain Gang run cycling tours in France and Italy. Bernard is offering a discount of £100 per person (the group must include a current BMF member that we will verify via the office), when you book a cycle tour through Chain Gang. For more information please see www.thechaingang.co.uk or call Bernard on 01392 662262

'Wild Gym' is a great new book on different ways to get fit outdoors. BMF features several times in the book which is published by Guardian Books priced £14.99. Bee says "When you exercise outdoors, your skin is kissed by the breeze, rather than having the moisture sucked out of it by gurgling air conditioners. There is exposure to real, natural daylight that has untold benefits for mind and body - not least the fact that it boosts your mood and vitamin D stores - that you simply don't get with artificially lit exercise studios". Click here to read more.

The children's charity WellChild is looking for lots of nice people (BMFers!) to join their team for the Berlin Marathon on September 28th 2008. They need to raise vital funds for their work with sick children. Joining the WellChild team in Berlin couldn't be easier:

Just email Clover, Cheryl or Karl at challenge@wellchild.org.uk for more information. They ask you to raise a minimum of £200 which includes an initial £100 holding donation.

Are you a BMF member and want to advertise here? Have you taken part in a challenge with other BMF members or raised money for charities? Contact barney@britmilfit.com