Not really, no. The Harry Hawkes 10 starts less than a mile from our house!

Nobody else we know is running this race, so I shall have to improvise to add a little variety to the "this is Amanda running" pictures. Much as we all love to see pictures of Amanda running, I would not wish to give you excess of it that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die.

So we'll start the day before, at Hazelwood parkrun. We've gone there to meet Pat, but as we're standing there chatting, a voice behind me exclaims, "There can't be two people with a T-shirt like that!" and lo and behold, it's Merilyn!

As it happens, she's quite correct: there is indeed nobody else wearing a T-shirt like that. However, I should point out that a few years ago during one of the Denbies races, I was cycling back towards Denbies wearing my Friesian cow shirt, also from Festival Running, when one of the runners called out, "I've got that shirt too!". Admittedly, the "green lightning" is a bit more likely to be truly unique, as their standard offering is mostly black and I asked for the full monty as a special.


Pat is too far ahead at this point, so I have to teleport her back with my magic Star Trek transporter beam to get her into the shot. It wouldn't be sporting to leave her there, though, so I put her back again afterwards.

I have also contrived to make the running around the field look much more scenic than it is from most other angles. It's a bit flat and boring, but the flip side of that is that it's fast, and Amanda gets her parkrun PB! She doesn't realise this initially, because she misreads her Garmin and thinks she's a minute slower than she really is.

So back to Harry Hawkes.

As seems to be becoming a bit of a fashion - Dorking the other week was the same - they've added a 10k to go with the established 10 mile race, but unlike Dorking, it starts well before the 10m and ends before the latter starts. Not that we know anybody doing that race either... Or do we?


Well there's a surprise, it's Team TFT! Seems they loved my Chessington report, so even though they're technically not qualified to be in this one, I shall make an exception. Well done, ladies!

So, to the race proper.


Damn! Despite standing on a large planter, itself on a raised platform, to get a good view of the runners as they start, somehow I still manage to miss Amanda.


Never mind, jump on the bike round to Weston Green and there she is.


And then another of those little gaps that give the impression she's in the race lead.


While I'm far from convinced that the Portsmouth Road cycle lane is such a great idea, it has to be said that the re-landscaping of the Queen's Promenade that went with it is a definite success.


Anthony is taking the official pictures just another hundred yards or so along. I don't realise he's there until I see Amanda waving her arms to him.


Apparently this is what she was doing for him, and now she's doing it for me!


Half way. [This caption brought to you by the Department of Stating the Bleeding Obvious.]


It's a great pity the race doesn't go in the opposite direction here, because there's just no good angle that gets runners' faces and the Palace in shot together, and the closest you can get to it is pointing right into the sun anyway.


The roads aren't much more even than the woods in places. But just round the corner from our house, one segment of road was completely resurfaced a couple of years ago, and it's just had new surface dressing applied which appears to be completely unnecessary. It's not even the bit of the road where our local councillor lives! It's a mystery.


And here she comes, cheered on by sister Jo and Jo's partner, Meta. Jo and Meta are visiting the UK from New Zealand and staying the weekend with us, but after a fairly intensive few days, are glad to have a bit of a quiet morning and just come along for the finish.


It's star jump time!


Although as I said, nobody we know is running, Bernie is here offering post-run massages. And if that's not good enough, nearby we see...


Ah, now this is just the thing when foam rolling simply won't cut it.

Now some of you may recall that after last year's HH10, we went to watch Dragon Boat racing in Kingston. This year, we're getting a bit closer to the water.


Yep, the whole motley crew are going kayaking between Thames Ditton and Hampton Court with London Kayak Tours.

Jo and Meta will be back for the Midsummer Munro/Picnic next week (again strictly as spectators!) so until then, it's goodbye from us.

Love to all,

Steve.