James Standley
BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

This was the year that saw England reborn. Guided by astute new coach Eddie Jones, they left behind the humiliation of 2015 and embarked on a winning run that saw them end the year with a 100% record - 13 wins from 13 games.

They started by clinching a first Grand Slam for 13 years, handed out a 3-0 whitewash to the Wallabies on Australian soil and ended the year with four wins in four Tests - including another win over Australia - to confirm their rise to second in the world rankings.

Elsewhere Ireland secured arguably the single finest result of the year, ending 111 years of hurt as they finally beat world champions New Zealand in a cracker in Chicago. 

Scotland showed signs of continued improvement, while Wales ended a difficult year with three Test wins in a row.

On the club front Irish minnows Connacht would have delivered the most outstanding achievement with their Pro12 title, had Saracens not done the English Premiership and European Champions Cup double…

Highlight? That James Haskell sidestep in the first-Test win over Australia in Brisbane in the summer. Who knew?

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Did you miss the Icelandic drummers? What a moment it was.

Have a gander here. And look out for Claudio Ranieri lapping it up.

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Warning: Contains dad dancing.

Image source, Rex Features

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Robbie Williams!

While he entertains us, let us tell you that there are in excess of 1100 sportstars inside the Arena tonight.

And every single Olympic and Paralympic medallist was invited to SPOTY this year.

That's some invitation list!

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Eagle-eyed millennials amongst you may recognise the location in which the last film was shot. 

Helen Rollason award winner Ben Smith was standing on the beautiful Clevedon Pier in Somerset, where One Direction filmed the music video for "You & I". 

BBC Sport producer Marc Vesty said he wanted to achieve "a feeling of isolation to represent Ben's situation as he was growing up but also somewhere beautiful, tranquil and a clear space to create the rain!"

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On 27 December, BBC Radio 4's Great Lives series will profile Helen Rollason, who is remembered every year at the Sports Personality of the Year awards. 

In what was a largely male-dominated sporting world at that time, Rollason became the first woman to present Grandstand in 1990, and she went on to front Olympics coverage, as well as sport bulletins on BBC News and Newsround. 

She sadly passed away in 1999 after battling cancer, but her memory lives on thanks to the Helen Rollason award, given out for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity. This year's award goes to marathon runner Ben Smith from Bristol.

Rollason was picked for the Great Lives series by Ruth Holdaway, the chief executive of Women in Sport.

Image source, Rex Features

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Chris: Fantastic story, an inspiration Ben Smith

BWR: Hats off to Ben Smith, what a guy.

Craigy Christmas: What an amazing inspirational story. 

Louise: Well done Ben Smith!! What a role model

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Here are some incredible numbers around the achievements of Ben Smith. Almost three million calories burned? That's more than 34,000 bags of Quavers.

You don't get stats like that anywhere else, folks!

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401 marathons in 401 days. There are no words. What an incredible man.

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GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO. You have around 30 minutes...

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Dan Hughes: Emotional watching the GB women's hockey bit!

Samantha Nation: Could watch that winning hockey moment over and over again.

Scott Hamilton: As much as #SPOTY, external is a bit contrived nowadays, I can't help bubbling uncontrollably at certain bits.

Not a dry eye in the house, it seems.

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Who remembers how stressful this GB women's hockey final was? Arrrrrgh.

It's got to be one of the seminal moments from Rio 2016.

Image source, Getty Images

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport

One special guest has been enjoying his time at Sports Personality - terminally ill five-year-old Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery. 

Bradley scored a penalty for his beloved Black Cats in the warm-up against Chelsea on Tuesday night and there is a growing social media campaign with players, media and fans calling for it to be the official Premier League goal of the month. 

His mum Gemma told me they had been surprised and delighted to be invited to tonight's event by organisers. 

"Normal people like us don't usually get a chance to go to things like this," she said. 

"It's been crazy the last few weeks. The whole country has come together."

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

This year saw the development and completion of the arguably the greatest British sporting story – a tale that overturned all logic and which will be recalled forever.

Leicester City, under a manager in Claudio Ranieri whose appointment was ridiculed by some, picked up an unstoppable momentum that saw a team of time-served journeymen and bargain buys from abroad see off competition from the Premier League’s superpowers to claim their first title.

Riding a tidal wave of support from a city gripped and disbelieving as they witnessed what was unfolding, as well as the backing of millions of neutrals around the world, the Foxes deservedly and magnificently secured what may turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime feat.

Image source, Getty Images

On the international stage, two other stories gripped us during the summer – one of success and one of dismal, humiliating failure.

Wales, at their first major tournament since 1958 under the leadership of manager Chris Coleman, reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016. The highlight was the 3-1 defeat of highly-fancied Belgium before defeat to eventual winners Portugal in the last four.

 For England, even in a series of under-performances on the big stage, the embarrassment of a last-16 exit to the minnows of Iceland was a low point.

Manager Roy Hodgson could not survive and took matters into his own hands by resigning minutes after the final whistle.

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Wow. These guys are incredible, aren't they?

They were one of the standout performers at Euro 2016.

Johann Albertsson is the main drummer and Kriss Jonsson is holding the drum. Sit back and enjoy.

Ranieri is have a right go at it... go on, my son!