Recent weeks have thrown up two shining examples of what’s good about running in general and Goole Viking Striders in particular. The first was Giles Harris’ quite magnificent performance in the Hebrides last May Bank Holiday, and the second was the collective efforts of the Striders’ juniors in last week’s River Bank Fun Run.

Giles’ mandate was simple. Travel up to the Western Isles of Scotland, run the Callanish Stones Marathon on the Isle of Lewis on the Saturday, rest on Sunday then run the Isle of Harris Marathon on the Monday. The runner with the lowest aggregate time would then be declared the winner of the Hebridean Two Marathon Challenge.

In the first race, run past the prehistoric monuments that it was named after, Giles was second in 3.08.22, beaten by Ivor Norman of Hunters Bog Trotters, a Scottish club with a daft name but serious athletic credentials. The margin was just one minute, which in a marathon is like the width of a vest in a sprint.

In the second race, Giles was second again, in 3.14.48, but the winner here hadn’t done the first race, and crucially Norman the Bog Trotter struggled in 15 minutes later, handing Giles a famous victory on aggregate by a considerable margin. No matter that the races were poorly attended (just 49 people managed to complete both), this was a fantastic effort, on difficult terrain, by the club’s top marathon man, and great publicity for Goole in an area where most people would ask "Where?"

Well Done Giles !