Report from Howard Jeffrey:

The Sutton Park 10K (formerly the Sutton 7) is a pleasantly low key, mainly trail race, to the north west of York. I have done it a couple of times and been fortunate enough to be the first in my age group each time and felt it was deserved as although it is not hilly the going can be quite tricky and it feels like hard work all the way round. Target time today is under 43.00 if possible although I had slightly overcooked the parkrun on Saturday so expected a tough day out. The start time is 12.00 which is about as late a start as I like, otherwise the whole day is consumed by a short race. The weather was slightly overcast and cool when the sun was concealed but actually very warm when it showed up. I bumped into Jack and Kath Robertshaw in the car park just before the race as they had come down to watch since they were holidaying in the area. The start is on the playing field in Sutton village and out through an estate to the main street and through the grounds of, you guessed it Sutton Park, which is open to visitors and is an interesting Georgian pile. No time to stop and admire however as the 1K point is just before you turn left through the grounds across the lawns and into the deep dark woods. I pass the 1K point in 4.03 which is OK as the route so far is tarmac and I had wanted to be up frontish to avoid some of the narrow pinch points on the tracks. The route twists and turns across a few narrow wooden bridges across streams and watch out for tree roots which have been tastefully and considerately sprayed with highlighters. You then cross a field with lumpy soft molehills so the ground is shifting uncomfortably underfoot. Through some woods again and then across fairly long wet grass and then back into the woods out across a stubble field where the earth is thankfully dry. The route then follows a country road and a right turn (Kath and Jack there to encourage) onto an old WW2 airfield. I have a new temporary best mate who is following in my footsteps as we go through 5K in 21.09. Considering the airfield was built 75 years ago it is surprisingly sound although there is a lot of farming flotsam and some loose stones here and there. The sun has been in and out so it is quite warm and the wind is always tending to get stiff across the flat landscape. At 8K you are back on the narrow lane back towards Sutton and there are quite a few motors and not a lot of space. My running mate has flagged a couple of times so I have cajoled him on and he has the temerity to start to pull away at 9K. Never one to let a good challenge go by I get up an my toes again and have a really strong last 500m burst to leave him behind at the finish back on the playing field. Turns out he was French, had I known it would have been ‘aurevoir cher ami’! I finish in a time of 43.22 which is 7  seconds slower than last year but I put that down to the underfoot conditions and poor pacing at the parkrun. The age group prize was awarded to Jeffrey Howard of Otley AC so I am able to see that he gets it! I was 23rd out of 199 in a race won by David Smithers of York Knavesmire Harriers in 37.38. First lady was Sarah Atwood in 12th place in 41.18, also York Knavesmire. Fellow Otliensian Tony Walker was 38th in 45.15