An absolutely freezing December day for this event, not that that's unexpected in mid-December. This race is run over laps of about 3.3 miles around a closed Newark Showground, meaning that you need to complete 4 laps for a half-marathon and 8 laps for the full. Some had entered for just the one lap, others were going beyond marathon distance. There isn't much in terms of scenery, but the lap-based system was ideal for this time of year. At the end of every lap there was a selection of biscuits, cakes and snacks, with cola, Irn-Bru and water available too. Participants had the choice of taking a break or continuing straight through for another lap. On my third lap the wind really picked up, making the sections where it was blowing straight into your face quite tough. Fortunately, I had layered up - it was a double-buff, double gloves and pretty much double everything else day! The weather forecast was for it to turn quite nasty, but fortunately this held off until later in the afternoon. I completed 6 laps, giving me a distance of just under 20 miles and really enjoyed the event. There were no crowds, but lots of support from fellow competitors. Laps might not be to everyone's taste, but it was the ideal event for the time of year when the weather cannot be relied upon. I'm planing on returning next year to do more than 6 laps!

Newark Showground Christmas Challenge is a 6-hour multi-lap race.

Race took place over 2 days. I ran on the second day.

Format is simple- Do as many of the 3.275 mile laps as you want within 6hours (or less).

My aim was to do 8x laps to complete a marathon but everybody had their own individual targets.

Beauty of this race is that it suits all runners, from novice to ultra runners. Just run what you want.

Registration was straight forward. Pre-race information was plentyful.

Laps were recorded by timing chips which were attached to the leg of each runner. We were kept informed of how many laps we had done at the end of each lap.

The course is run almostly entirely on paths with a little on grass. Some of the paths were a little bumpy but not too bad.

Nature of the course meant local support was non-existant but runners encouraged each other along perfectly.

Route was well put together. It might not be the most intersting but it served a purpose perfectly.

Baggage area was basic but perfectly secure.

Aid stations were at the end of each lap and contained water, juice, mince pies, cakes, crisps, jaffa cakes etc.

Finshers of all distances were rewarded with a super, solid medal.

The medal was presented by race organiser and marathon legend, Adam Holland. Thought that was a really nice touch.

In summary - This course probably isnt the most scenic but it's fast, flatand suits runners of all abilities.

Race doesn't have the glamour of some of the big races but it's a good, honest race, with a nice atmosphere.

Very good value.

I would certainly reccomend this race. I'll be back in 2018 for sure.