Ferndown 10k, 2022

This was a real wildcard, give-it-a-try sort of race. It was organised by the local Rotary, and was based at Ferndown's recreation ground. We arrived in good time, and scratched our heads a bit at the big playing field and the rather dozy-looking preparation.

Rotary is without doubt a force for good in the world, getting involved in and staging lots of worthwhile community activities and raising funds. And there's also something gently Englishly comic about the characters involved. Several times we wondered whether we had stumbled into a scene from Detectorists, All the organisers were chaps were professional retired chaps in their sixties and seventies, and the marshals were their wives, who had been left in the dark about most aspects of the race. I wish I had taken a photo of the race course, which was a blue biro schematic and totally indecipherable.

Mrs S was worrying that I'd have no competition at all. It was hard to tell - there were a few club runners wandering around, but it clearly wasn't going to be a hardcore field. We set off, with half a dozen or so people ahead of me. Thirty seconds later they'd all dropped back and there was just one bloke ahead of me. I thought I was being sensible, but with my first km clocking in at 3:33, I tried to settle in to the race.

My worry about running around playing fields was misplaced. Most of the race was on a patch of heathland which was far more interesting - sandy trails through wood and open land. All very flat, but with some interesting technical sections. Matey in front drifted ahead until I lost sight of both him and the lead bike in front of him.

That was it in terms of competition - no in sight in front or behind. I kept the pressure up and had just a couple of moments where I wasn't sure where to go, but took a punt and all was well. I finished in second place in 38:03 which was OK, considering the off-road course and the lack of direct competition. And I was presented a £15 voucher by some bloke off the telly. All good fun!

I think he reads the news on South Today

£15 just about covers the entry fee