The Retford Half Marathon though 80 miles from Hull is not unkown to Hull runners. It is organised by Retford Athletic Club and attracts approximately 1 200 entrants each year. It leaves Retford from Retford Oaks Academy on Babworth Road and travels through the local North notts countryside, which looks very similar to our East Yorkshire countryside unsurprisingly. The first 5 miles are flat and there are a few rises(including a small railway bridge at mile 11 which we never appreciate running up), the last couple of miles are downhill but because the road (Worksop Road) is not closed and runners are required to run on the left you have to be careful when overtaking as the footpath is narrow in some places. So its not like the North East Lincs or Boston halfs which are very flat but not too arduous and a good time beckons for those who have trained appropriately.

Myself and Tim Groves had ran in the Yorkshire Wolds HM on the Saturday and Paul Wray ran a 19:07 at Hull parkrun so what better start to a Sunday morning than standing at the corner of my street at 4:30am to be picked up and driven to Keswick.