As with every year I start off with this race, the Brass Monkey 10k held at Rockingham Speedway, Corby. For the first time in many years it was actually sunny! Normally with this race the weather is wet and it can be very cold. 

Ample room for parking and picking up your race number is easy due to the fact surnames are separated. You can even turn up on the day and register, it costs you slightly more but at least you can check the weather forecast beforehand. 

The course is around the speedway which is 1.5 miles so you end up doing 4 and a bit laps. The course isn’t all that exciting as you are always on a camber going left. But you can’t get lost and as long as you can count to 4 you’ll never do more than the 10k. There is one water station and as your doing laps you get to it every 1.5 miles. 

Previous years the medal has been bespoke with a monkey design. This year you did receive a medal but it was a standard medal with no engraving but you did get a t-shirt that I will definitely use for my training runs.

Overall the race is well organised and helps support a local hospice (Lakelands) and is always a good race to blow away the cobwebs and that extra weight gained from the Christmas holidays!

I’ll see you again next year Brass Monkey!