Flashback to around 20 years, it was the rise of the superclub when Friday nights were all about going out with friends and rolling home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

These days parties have since been replaced with 10k races, Smirnoff ices (it was the ‘in’ drink back then) have been replaced with water and isotonic and the only club I’ve been to lately is a running club. Weirdly, the superclub of my youth is now my gym. Just thought I’d throw that in there! Anyway, I digress.

Last Friday evening I took part in the Walkington 10k. The race is hosted by Beverley Athletics Club and is a scenic one lap circular route from Walkington returning via Little Weighton and finishing on the playing field. For those not familiar with the area, these are small villages just outside Beverley, in the East Riding. I’ve taken part in this a few times now as it’s local to me which is great as I can be back home in next to no time!

It’s the only race I’ve done where the evening starts with a cake stall. Normally I’d have been all over that but the waistband on my running bottoms is already too tight and I refuse to buy a bigger size so this year I gave it a miss.

It was a hot and humid evening for 600-ish cake fuelled runners to take on this challenging course. It’s labelled as ‘undulating’ I’d call it hilly. That said, it is very scenic.

I wasn’t out to break any records, I was running with 2 friends so took it steady, chatting most of the way around, until the final section where I managed to break into a quicker finish to test the legs out. A lot of it is on rural roads so there was very little crowd support outside of the two villages which made me realise how much spectators really keep you going when you’re running.

The finish time was irrelevant for me, I was just using it as a training run. I’m just grateful I can run again.

Result 1.02.27, similar time to last year so I’ll take that.

There was no race bling, but it was cheap as chips to enter and all finishers received a T-shirt. It may not be the easiest of courses but it’s great for hill training and there is cake. I’ll be back next year.

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Entry Cost: £15.00 Unaffiliated / £13.00 Affiliated
Water stations:
 One , half way – paper cups
Parking: Plenty, although if you are there early you will be last out, as I found out! 
Photos: Not sure.
Baggage Facilities: None, parking onsite
Post-Race Goodies: T-shirt  / water 
Highlights: Well organised and there’s cake! 
Low points: Getting out of the carpark