THE Helmsley 10k Multi Terrain Challenge was exactly what it says - a challenge!

A long 3k uphill road section to start is followed by a long stretch of stoney, hard trails, harder than usual because of the dry weather, with some gentler grass and a shorter road section to the finish. 361 runners completed the race, just getting in before a real, forecast, downpour. Stephan Tomaszewski, who excells over all distances and terrains, came 31st, and 2nd M55, in 41.28, Alan Simpson 135th in 50.36, Ian Codling 353rd in 76.16 and Marian Codling 358th in 84.46.

A couple of days earlier, on Good Friday, 225 runners were at the altogether flatter, largely out and back race between New Marske and Redcar along the sea front, the Mermaid 10k, based at the Mermaid pub.

Peter Richardson finished 130th in 51.00, Ian Codling 223rd in 70.39 and Marian Codling 225th in 78.39.

Another busy weekend of Park Runs saw 11 members among the massive, record breaking, field of 514 at Fountains Abbey. Young Joseph Busuttil came 48th in PB 21.06, Ian Crane 140th in PB 24.12, Nigel Morgan 177th in 25.28, Martin Cummins 198th in 26.02, Malcolm Aitken 290th in 28.58, Linda Bamforth 320th in 29.38, Tom Levi 381st in 31.26, Paul Adams 399th in 31.56, Gillian Crane 451st in 34.05, Jane Cummins 453rd, also given a time of 34.05 and Emma Adams 462nd in 34.35.

At Northallerton, Dave Baker came 26th out of 114 in 23.04, Phillip Craig 47th in 25.52, Rosie Gatenby 65th in 28.15 and Liz Stephenson 100th in 35.38.

Club Coach, Rob Burn, was among the 271 at the Dalby Forest event and was delighted to finish 27th in a PB 21.19.

Peter and Joanne Richardson were at Darlington, coming 342nd and 343rd respectively out of 429 in 34.21 and 34.25.

Charlotte Wilton had her regular trip to Albert Park, coming 39th out of 343 in 20.28, 3rd female, and just a couple of seconds short of her PB.

The previous weekend, Marc Davies, who definitely prefers off-road races with hills, was in Northern Ireland for the British Athletics and Fell Running Championships, the Donard Challenge over 10k with 900 metres of ascent and descent. The race started in Newcastle with a gradually increasingly steep forest track to open moorland below Millstone Mountain and back to Newcastle. The weather was clear and cool, and Marc finished 235th out of 254 in 1.42.

Lorraine Hiles, meanwhile, was pitting herself against the Paris Marathon and completed the course in a very creditable 4.12.30.

At the far side of the world, in Indonesia, John Yates was among the 1000+ runners in the BFI Bank Half Marathon, very happy with his 9th place, and 1st M40, in 1.36.55.