ANOTHER weekend, another virtual race for Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, this time the Alternative Ripon 10, devised by Duncan Fothergill.

The figure of eight course, with the start in the middle, went left along the Cleveland Way towards the Sutton Bank visitor centre involving a five-mile loop, and then right to High Paradise with another, approximate, five-mile loop. The glorious weather required an early start to run in the coolest part of the day, and the multi-terrain course was every bit as tough as the actual Ripon 10, with beautiful scenery, for those who had time to look.

Andrew Price particularly enjoys this type of course, and recorded the fastest time of 1.06.01, with Paul Peacock not far behind, second in 1.06.28. Matt Jones came third in 1.07.29, Tom Levi fourth in 1.09.56, Kieran Leppard fifth in 1.13.11, Joe Poole sixth in 1.16.02, Walter Busuttil seventh in 1.17.56, Rob Burn eighth in 1.18.52, David Fawkes ninth in 1.20.10 and Alan Simpson tenth in 1.20.44.

Trudy Morrice was once again in amongst the early finishers, first lady and eighth overall, in 1.18.45, with Gemma Tutty second, 12th overall, in 1.21.23, Lorraine Hiles third in 1.23.41, Kirsty Naylor fourth in 1.31.02, Clare Tempest fifth in 1.32.04, Hilary Coventry sixth in 1.32.31, Stephanie Hawkins seventh in 1.37.42, Tracey Lowther eighth in 1.39.36, Sonja van der Westhuisen ninth in 1.41.48 and Faye Levi tenth in 1.42.00.

This longer, harder, run reduced numbers slightly, but even so, there were 64 finishers, and well done to every single one of them. Also running were Adrian Elsworth, Paul Chapman, Brett Edgeworth, Andy Butcher, Pedro Carrasco, Gary Wilkinson, Joe O'Keefe, Duncan Fothergill, Adrian Saunders, Dave Baker, Martyn Coy, Geoff Bullock, Dave Wood, David Tervitt, Mike Lowther, Steve Billings, Paul Goacher, Sarah Harrison, Pauline Percy, Andrea Colls, Nicola Jenkins, Trish Radford, Alison Butcher, Joe Joyce, Faith Coy, Will Jagger, David Palmer, Lucy Sillars, James Stephenson, Drikus van der Westhuisen, Phillip Craig, Margaret Wikeley, Christine Burn, Ruth Pollard, Clare Jones, Jacob Condor, Kimberli Werner, Ellen Brookes, Paul Adams, Liz Stephenson, Alan Wikeley, Sharon Keegan, Sarah Goacher, and Denise Gandy – several of the above running ten miles for the first time.