Last Saturday saw the final event organised by the SeeYorkRunYork team, the appropriately named Farewell Challenge. The 250 competitors on the start line listened to an emotional farewell speech and will miss these wonderfully inclusive events which have celebrated speedy runners, joggers and walkers alike. Not only was this lapped event around the Knavesmire very well organised but the weather was perfect, sunshine with a chilly cooling breeze. Nicola Wise completed 6 laps, totalling 22.8 miles in 4 hours 52 minutes placing her 5th overall for this distance, despite walking the last lap with Dean Wise. Dean completed 5 laps. He waited after the 4th lap to walk the last lap with Nicola and so also clocked 4 hours 52 minutes. Paul Simpson completed 1 lap in a speedy 28 minutes 49 seconds placing him 1st overall for this distance and Alison Hyde walked 1 lap in 1 hour 15 minutes.

On Sunday over 28,000 people ran the Manchester Marathon, a fast, fairly flat road course in and around the city centre. Ryan Gaughan and Chris Croft both had excellent runs with amazingly even splits throughout the race speeding up towards the end. Ryan clocked 3 hours 2 minutes and Chris Croft crossed the finish line 7 minutes later in 3 hours 9 minutes. Paul Simpson, struggled from mile 19, perhaps due to his efforts the day before, finishing in 4 hours 19 minutes.

Also on Sunday was the Defy Dalby 10k, a 2 lap course along forest trails and paths. Over 200 runners
took part. Paul Robinson crossed the finish line in 56 minutes 14 seconds placing him 1st M70 and Graham Robinson was 2nd M70 in 1 hour 29 minutes.

Andrew Bates joined nearly 500 runners competing in the West London 10k in the beautiful Gunnersbury Park, clocking 54 minutes 39 seconds.