And so it came to pass that two local trail races occurred in one weekend clashing both with the highly attended club trip abroad and the opportunity to run an assault course with a 2½ stone pack on your back.

When the club championship events were decided, the date of the club trip wasn't known and it just so happened that these two trail races were chosen. Recently it was realised that there was a great chance to maximise opportunities and claim more than your average number of points by attending these races if you weren't going to Belgium.

Snape has long been a favourite race of mine - a little village a few miles outside Bedale that organises it's own event with villagers and farmers marshalling. A great 10k course with a variety of surfaces, the occasional undulation and no nasty suprises. A water station just over half way, medal and water at the finish and then best of all - the opportunity to go back to the village hall and buy home made food ! Sandwiches, sausage rolls, jacket potatoes and more choice of cake than a bakers - brilliant ! About 15 Quakers made the journey - although one didn't make the start line until after the race had set off and so went shopping in Northallerton instead.

Sunday saw the Sedgefield Serpentine, slightly longer at 6.5 mile, but every bit as good a race. The Cricket club was registration, start and finish for this event which meant very pleasant facilities. The course again was very scenic, multi-terrain around the Hardwick, Bishop Middleham area but with somewhat more undulation - even bordering on a little hill or two. The excellent course was a little more difficult for those of us who had ran at Snape - my legs ached from the start but eventually got going. Again a water station just after half way, plenty of marshalls, plus Lucozade Sport, Mars Bar and a small box of raisins at the end with a gift of a Sedgefield Serpentine thermal mug. To round things off there was a barbecue and the bar was open on what was a lovely sunny morning/afternoon. Only around a dozen Quakers made it this time - most of them going for the double - and including the late Snape non-runner who managed to get there in time to actually run !

Two excellent events, with beautiful scenery, in our local area that make you understand why you do this strange running thing - and why running on the road has no excitement for me whatsoever !