This event has a reputation for fast times but that may be something to do with the long list of cash prizes on offer and also that it incorporated the North of England 10k Championships this year. Caroline Brock described the course as actually quite undulating with the worst of the climb plus headwind in the first half making for a faster second part. Despite enjoying the route, post race Caroline thought that she hadn’t run hard enough. (Editor: Typical of most  competitors really and obviously did run hard enough to finish third F40 and second F40 in the Northern Champs). Malcom Baggaley had similar sentiments about the course itself but had to take the first couple of kilometres fairly steady until he was confident that he wouldn’t throw up following a Christmas present of a rather unpleasant encounter with Norovirus.

Starting and finishing at Roefield Leisure Centre, Clitheroe with changing and showers available the traffic free route is largely rural. Free entry for Elite (sub 30:30 men and 35:30 women) with their own pen ensuring that they are pole position at the start. Clitheroe is a 70 mile trek across the Pennines from Sheffield so quite a hike for the six Steel City who ran.