First race back for me post Covid-19 and second time running this race. An excellent local race, course offers a bit of a challenge with uphill section soon after the start and then nice downhill section to finish. Nice medal with bottle opener and bottle of local beer to use it on. Always good to see the always excellent Bryan Dale taking superb quality race photo's.

My home race, I LOVE the Newcastle 10k, it's a road race which starts by the college and takes you up through knutton and up blackbank, which is a challenge, as it's a pretty full on incline up past the country parks, however once the incline is done you can enjoy some awesome downhill sections as you drop back into silverdale and onto the wammy track and down to the finish line, a really enjoyable route (and one I run fairly regularly) with some nice views, the finish had a great community feel to it, The medal doubles up as a bottle opener, which is handy as you are given a bottle of beer to finish with and this year a pack of hydrotablets, I'll be returning next year 

A brilliant local event in Newcastle under Lyme (Staffs) which attracts many local runners and even a few from further afield- why? The challenge of Black Bank. A 2 mile hill on the outskirts of Apedale Country Park. 

The race is organised by local club Newcastle AC and I thought they did an amazing job. Registration was easy, entry was cheap, Marshal stations well manned.

The course is not pb friendly but that’s not the point. This race is about the hill. From the start you meander for a mile through Knutton before testing your nerve up Black Bank. Just when you think you’ve got to the top, oh wait it goes round the corner.

The joy now is ‘what goes up must come down- a chance to make up time if you haven’t over cooked the incline. Meandering down hill past Silverdale Country Park and join the Wammy Parkrun route back.

A lovely medal that doubles as a bottle opener - along with a beer from local brewery and a pack of Colombian energy bars (the name of escapes me as I write this). Being vegan, most times I have to give goody bag food away but was pleasantly surprised by the ethical, naturally sourced products.

A brilliant local event in Newcastle under Lyme (Staffs) which attracts many local runners and even a few from further afield- why? The challenge of Black Bank. A 2 mile hill on the outskirts of Apedale Country Park. 

The race is organised by local club Newcastle AC and I thought they did an amazing job. Registration was easy, entry was cheap, Marshal stations well manned.

The course is not pb friendly but that’s not the point. This race is about the hill. From the start you meander for a mile through Knutton before testing your nerve up Black Bank. Just when you think you’ve got to the top, oh wait it goes round the corner.

The joy now is ‘what goes up must come down- a chance to make up time if you haven’t over cooked the incline. Meandering down hill past Silverdale Country Park and join the Wammy Parkrun route back.

A lovely medal that doubles as a bottle opener - along with a beer from local brewery and a pack of Colombian energy bars (the name of escapes me as I write this). Being vegan, most times I have to give goody bag food away but was pleasantly surprised by the ethical, naturally sourced products.

A brilliant local event in Newcastle under Lyme (Staffs) which attracts many local runners and even a few from further afield- why? The challenge of Black Bank. A 2 mile hill on the outskirts of Apedale Country Park. 

The race is organised by local club Newcastle AC and I thought they did an amazing job. Registration was easy, entry was cheap, Marshal stations well manned.

The course is not pb friendly but that’s not the point. This race is about the hill. From the start you meander for a mile through Knutton before testing your nerve up Black Bank. Just when you think you’ve got to the top, oh wait it goes round the corner.

The joy now is ‘what goes up must come down- a chance to make up time if you haven’t over cooked the incline. Meandering down hill past Silverdale Country Park and join the Wammy Parkrun route back.

A lovely medal that doubles as a bottle opener - along with a beer from local brewery and a pack of Colombian energy bars (the name of escapes me as I write this). Being vegan, most times I have to give goody bag food away but was pleasantly surprised by the ethical, naturally sourced products.