wow! what a beautiful course and what a marvellous race!! thanks to all at Alnwick Harriers for a lovely day out at the seaside.

click on the photos below to see a larger image

here we are at registration at Beadnell Yacht Club, Running Beard on the left with Lisrun and Schnecke climbing the fence behind him . . and then gathering in the car park before the race . . the green hut was a veritable torture chamber of wonderful bacon sandwich smells . .

the inevitable, obligatory team photo, with from left
RichK, Amanita, ?, ?, YP1, Running Beard, haha, Black Cat, ?, Fat Boy Cake and She Runs For Cake
and Lisrun and Schnecke at the front

Beadnell harbour

the sun came out for the start on the beach

and the view of slightly faster runners making their way around the bay ahead of us was one to remember

thanks to Lisrun for this photo of haha, Schnecke, Black Cat, me and Hippy Click . . then I turned my camera on Lisrun and She Runs For Cake as we left the first beach section behind . . but it wasn't long before we dropped down onto the beach for a second time, at Low Newton by the Sea

each time we ran along a section of beach it seemed to stretch for miles ahead of us, and the perspective is hard to work out so you're never quite sure where the end is . . however this time the views of Dunstanburgh Castle in the distance helped to take your mind off that . .

at the foot of the castle ramparts looking back along the beach

the castle ruins looked wonderful in the sun but you couldn't help speculating what the Dunstanburgh ghosts made of it all

running alongside the castle

and then a look back over your shoulder was rewarded with this view

further down the coast, just south of Craster, looking north towards the castle again, and south towards - hopefully - our destination

after a section of road took us through Boulmer and past the caravan parks, where I had a quick reunion with some good friends, we hit the beach for the final time . . it was tougher now, and into a strong wind . . and the beach seemed to stretch for ever beyond us

the photo below is taken just after we passed the final breakwater on the beach . . the finish is still some way in the distance, sufficeintly far away enough for me to pass at least half a dozen of the people ahead of me☺