Swaledale Road Runners

Thrilled to have been the recipient of my first ever medal for running since school, as a runner-up in this event I feel duty bound to report on the challenge of running in a floor-length coat, two-tone wig, full-length leather gloves and bling whilst carrying a spliff on a stick (it was a cigarette in a holder, daahling).

Accompanied by a set of mobile traffic lights and Mrs Christmas; Victorian strong man (top lifted weight: two balloons on a stick) and cave-lady, both looking good in skimpy leopard print; a menagerie comprising the Gruffalo, Shaun the Sheep and a Friesian; good and evil prevailed over us: the devil and a nun in fishnets. We were pursued by a well rounded snowman and, "Who did we call...? Ghostbusters!" One turned up.

A good giggle all the way round the Easby loop, dealing with our various costumes and attachments through gates (with difficulty in the snowman's case!) and over stiles, we encountered passers-by with a mixture of smiles, bafflement, 'let's pretend we haven't seen them,' looks on their faces, in equal measure. Cave-lady achieved high in the embarrassment stakes for her son, as we trotted past his Sunday football match and supporters. I managed to alarm a Dalmation and its owner whilst the Gruffalo and Shaun delighted children en route. John papped us a regular intervals around our trail and, as the caption says on the site, the photos speak for themselves.

Congratulations to Ghostbuster Young on taking first prize and to fellow runner-up Gruffalo Bennison.

Thank you fellow runners/mad people for a lovely afternoon.

Cruella de Vil

PS The medal was delicious, thank you.

Click on the photo to go straight to the gallery.