Winter Solstice Saunter, Bingley

This is a night race around St Ives Estate outside Bingley, for a good cause - Sue Ryder. Held on Friday night - the longest night. I thought I would support it and it would help me not drink too much before Christmas.
So we all gathered on a warm, but windy and damp night and about 500 of us set off at 7.30 for either one or two laps of the 5km circuit. There were seasoned runners, fun runners and kids with their parents.
The start was so congested that I didn't manage to get into my stride until we were about a mile in. The course was a bit like a fell race, loads of trip hazards and very slippery - the recent storms had also added some limbo and jump obstacles, all to be done in the dark with most people having dim lights.
I thought it was potentially very dangerous, and apparently a few folk were stretchered off. Still no-one died!
One advantage was that due to the 'range' of entrants I finished 29/270 and was first M65 - even though I only managed 31 minutes for 5km.
The best bit was that the medal (of which I'm not generally a fan) was the best I've ever won. A stained glass owl, that looks lovely in the light Hanging in our kitchen window.