When I booked my entry into the Deepdale dash 10k in May this year, my thoughts were far from what the weather would be like come November. A friend had done this run last year and talked of how good it was, although it does sell out pretty fast

I managed to get signed on without much problem.

The Deepdale dash is the Barton AC equivalent to the Walkington 10k and I believe it has been voted as one of the top 10 best 10k’s to do. It’s a lovely run through country lanes going either up or down but very rarely on the flat.

When I looked out of the window on that windy rainy Sunday morning my first thought was to get back into bed, though the 11 O’clock start made it a little easier. I’m glad I didn’t, although when I arrived in Barton and the sat nav took me to an industrial estate without a runner in sight I thought I’d got my get out clause. I finally arrived at the Wren kitchens car park a good half mile from race HQ with the rain beating down and the temperature a toasty 4.5 degrees. I walked to the Baysgarth School to collect my race number wondering why on earth I had turned out in such weather. When I got there I met John Crosby and Shirley Oglesby asking themselves the same question. Registration was really efficient as was the bag drop run by the local TA’s. We walked to the start line outside the school but not before sheltering in the bike sheds with a feeble attempt at keeping dry before the start. Then we were off and all weather forgotten it was such a lovely run and the marshelling and crowd support was amazing. The first hill started within the first km then it was a constant undulating course going past Deepdale garden centre turning left towards Barrow and forming a triangle heading back into Barton passing close to the start line and finishing uphill and onto the rather slippery school playing field. It certainly isn’t a PB course but the race was really well organised. I loved every minute of it and would certainly recommend it for next year. We were rewarded at the end of the race with a lovely sweatshirt which was certainly needed for the long walk back to the car, which in my opinion was the only downside to the race.

Carol Cooke