Adam in Runderland

One of my favourite events of the year is the Lode half marathon held in November each year. Lode is a small, picturesque village in the fens just off the A14 to the north-east of Cambridge. There is always a warm welcome, the hospitality is superb and marshals friendly and numerous. This was my third year and, due to the flat course, I was hoping to improve on my previous times and maybe secure a last PB of the year. I emerged into the morning mist at 7:30am to drive the hour's journey to Lode. Visibility was down to a few hundred metres and it was cool and still. Good conditions for a fast run, not so good for driving but I arrived in one piece and with plenty of time before the start. Clear signage and helpful marshals guided me to the field behind the church which served as a car park. A short walk through the village past the local post office led to the village hall and local park. The registration had been improved from last year with more desks and copious safety p

  This week's parkrun coincided with Halloween and there were a number of the 342 runners who got into the spirit of the occasion as you can see above. There were also some scarily fast times at the front of the field and a frighteningly good 54 personal bests.     Gabby was our Run Director and she was supported by a great group of willing volunteers who offered support and encouragement on a chilly morning.     First place in both female and male categories were visitors from Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club. Eileen Bradley finished in 22:24 and Ben Toomer managed to break 16 minutes which resulted in the marshals having their own mini race to get in place before he crossed the line! A special mention too for David Green who, fresh from a 6th place finish at the Snowdon Marathon last weekend, still managed a strong 4th place.   In the women's race Julie Evans managed to sustain her slender lead at the top of the annual points competition while Nor