You don't know what a Hoka is? Honestly, it's not rude! All will be revealed...


Last week, we took the old car to avoid muddying the new one (Bookham 10k, say no more!), but this race we can be properly eco and ride our bikes to what must definitely be the poshest bike park on the Surrey racing circuit!


Run To Live look to be doing good business, but it's cold enough today that I think Nicky's been a bit over-generous with her half-price gloves and hat offer! At the time, I don't notice Merilyn in the shot, and a few seconds later, she'll spot me first.


Heading for the start. Look closely: she's got safety pins on her back exactly where they would be if she had an invisible number there. She does have her real number on the front; I can't explain it.


It's not the coldest ever Valentine's 10K, but it's still BRRR!!!


Here they come!

The course has been officially re-measured after alterations to a road junction on the route, but any change to the start is hard for the lay person to spot.


I'm standing on a wall for a good view, so I manage to spot Amanda in the thick of the crowd, which I don't always do. At the time, I thought I saw Merilyn too, but looking at the pictures subsequently, I must have been hallucinating.


Off the boys and girls all go...


I'm not going to have room to jump down for a few monents yet. May as well take some pictures...


The last runner isn't even running!


The race leader appears on the horizon.


First lady, and blimey, it's Rear Safety-Pin Girl! Very closely challenged here, but in the final analysis she'll pull out a few seconds more before the end. Perhaps the safety pins are really disguised rocket boosters...


Look for that flash of pink! I can't see Merilyn but I can see her socks!


Aha, there's a real person behind the fluorescence.


Amanda's a bit more exposed.


And about to expose more! Off comes the hat!


Local residents seem to be doing some unofficial marshalling, which is nice of them.


Hmm... Not a great time, and she's a bit unhappy about it, but we all have bad days.


Merilyn reckons her time was rubbish too, but we will later discover it's less rubbish than anyone else in her category so she wins the VL55 prize!


So, Hokas! Amanda is trying out some new running shoes that Nicky has brought for her. They're a fairly new brand and RTL have only just begun stocking them, but guess what? Merilyn is wearing them already and raving about how good they are!


Here we are then, Hoka to Hoka!


Tada!

Until the next race, then - Leith Hill. We hear that Tiny and Joel are back to defend their title for the Wife-Carrying Race beforehand, so there should be some fun to look forward to.

Steve.

PS: Amanda loved the shoes, so she bought them. Then after her crap time in the race, she went out in the afternoon and did a PB on her local training run! So that's Merilyn's secret!