This is a very unique event and one everyone should run. It's relatively short at 8km so not out of reach for anyone. The course is hilly but enjoyable as long as you pace yourself.

The cani-cross event goes 5 minutes before the normal race and the addition of dogs adds the atmosphere before and after the race.

It's very much a friendly atmosphere and if you park on the top car park, it's a nice walk down the start line.

I am running the event again next year, for the third year in a row.

From the outset I'm going to say 'What a race!'

This is a local small company known for their medals, and it's the reason I booked this race. Although I'd missed the initial batch of entries, I received an email asking if I'd like to enter the race. Too right I do!

Beacon Solstice Run is set in rural Leicestershire at Beacon Hill Country Park around the middle of June. The venues name should start to flash small warning signs about the nature of the course.

So race booked, T ordered (which is superb quality) I waited for the pre-race email, which duly arrived and looked very smart, had all the relevant information with some very detailed maps. Full marks here.

The race is a Friday evening which I liked, yet I've never raced during this point of the week, so was a little different on preparation. The day was hot and I was more concerned about hydration than fuel, it was only a 10k so nutrition wasn't high on my list.

The gang joined me for this race, which is unusual as I tend to fly solo so I can focus on the usual pre-race faff without having to keep asking the kids to keep up-see below!

Car parking. There were 2 car parks, upper and lower. The upper was a designated area for the event, which we ended up parking at. Big mistake. It then involved dragging the gang around 1-2 miles down a long un-ending path, thank goodness it was downhill. If you go to this race, get there early and use the lower car park, it puts you within a stones throw of the race village. Post race, I had to fetch the car, the uphill path is reasonably steep and it was getting late and the kids were getting tetchy! I have notified by the race organisers that the car parking is being adjusted so it is much closer to the start/finish area.

Registration tent located, number acquired. Easy and efficient with no faff. A quick leg warm run because my legs still had 23 hilly miles from Man v Horse and were at the tail end of DOMS. I also had a quick pee because the loos were a short walk away with a Q. We were in the woods so I'm just putting back into nature what it gave me in the first place.

There's a very short briefing. CaniX first, stick to the paths, it's a shared course, please thank the marshals. Craig must run a parkrun somewhere! It was short and sweet and no fluff, just how it should be.

We move to the start line at the foot of a small slope and the entrance to the woods. The dogs are going berserk and set an atmosphere for the race ahead. Dogs and humans are separated by 5 minutes so that there's very little dog lead trippage. Did I mention the hills? There's not much flat on this course, you're mostly up, down, up, down with a final up and a long down into the finish. Be warned 1 of the ups is long, which I love. Give me hills any day of the week, except down-I hate down!

Now the reason it's a Solstice Run is so you get plenty of evening sunlight, which was in full display this evening. Dappled sunlight during a run in the woods is exceptional, more so when you are racing. Along the final downhill, you descend through an area filled with beech trees, which lit with evening late spring sun (we hadn't quite reached the Solstice yet) was beautiful, I slowed to take more of this glorious vista in.

Now, for some reason I thought this race was a 10k. Wrong! At 4.5 miles I could hear the finish line. To my relief, as my hamstrings were about to snap from the descending, the finish line drew up at mile 5. I love a 5 miler, it's something you can really hammer out, yet still have a quality race. The finish felt like a finish not just a couple of flags, good support, high5ing, race photographer for the obligatory finish line photo of me looking at and stopping my watch! Goody bag is handed over containing medal, crisps, 2 chocolate bars and a BEER! Great work Jack Rabbit. The medal was of the Green Man, it's not big but it's beautiful, definitely a keeper.

That question... Would I do it again? In the space of 6 days I've found 2 races that I, despite being a one race pony, will return to. The first is Man v Horse. Second is Beacon Solstice Run. It's a race you can shoe-horn into your diary. It's a short-sharp-shock that you can pound out on a Friday night and still be good for parkrun the next morning. It's a great course, has a great medal and the location and route is bloody awesome. I can't wait for the half marathon later this year in the autumn. The same course but a touch longer and with leaves mimicking rich golden skies. So yes 'I'll be back'!

A very unique run through the beacon hills. As the race starts at 19:00 on a Friday night it's a slightly different atmosphere. Everyone has finished work snd looking forward to the weekend.

It's very friendly and well organised. It has the feel of a local event but the organisation of something much bigger. I think this event will grow as the years go on.