This  time last year Walkington was bathed in glorious summer sunshine for the annual 10k, and the runners had high temperatures to contend with as well as the undulating course.  Last Friday Walkington was bathed again, not in sunshine of course but in torrential rain, which only eased off as the last few finishers splashed their way to the line.  Hypothermia was the order of the day for marshals and spectators, but in fact heavy rain isn’t a bad thing to run in unless, like the writer, you have to battle with waterlogged shorts which refuse to ignore the pull of gravity. 

All the Striders did well just to turn up in these conditions, especially Steve Crabtree making his debut, a baptism not of fire but total immersion, and also Ray Smith who had a blinder considering it was less than a week since his 77 mile epic the previous weekend.  You have to feel sympathy for Neil Bentley, getting drenched on his comeback run after being flooded out of his house in Gilberdyke, although he ran very well to lead the Striders in.  With that amount of natural ability at his disposal Neil could do even better, if he ever finds the time or the inclination to do a mile or two of training. 

Striders’times: 
Neil Bentley 41.16, Mark Thompson 43.11, Nigel Warner 43.49, Richard Bramham 45.37, Ray Smith 47.04, Dave Pullman 47.06, Mike Harvey 50.47, Graham Walker 51.02, Patsy Fenelon 52.17, Dot Pullman 56.01, Steve Crabtree 57.08