This is a staple in the Stockport race world, previously known as much for its quirky goody bag as the run itself. As 10 miles is not a usual distance it marks a useful stepping stone between 10k and half-marathon.

It is mostly run on roads, with the race starting and ending on the track at the Woodbank Stadium which you have to run through the park to get to. There is also an off-road section at about mile 7.

The course is fast but not flat. Indeed there are two hill sections - although let's call these 'road hills' rather than the type of challenge you have running off road. New Zealand Road is more a problem due to it being in the latter stages of the race rather than it being a particularly nasty hill itself. But the race blurb does focus on the hills (and plenty of people are seemingly taken in by it!)

Usual problem in Stockport is the pathetic level of driving patience; there is a section run on the main road and whilst this in itself doesn't cause conflict with the traffic, people trying to get into the BP filling station on Marple Road seem to think it's OK to try to run over the marshals. Last year Greater Manchester Police had a presence there to remind said drivers of their requirement to behave like human beings......

I mentioned the goody bag earlier. Actually the 2016 bag was pretty uninteresting with the usual stuff. No mealworms, bugs, or radiator keys this year! And the price seems to have increased significantly over the last couple of years too, although it's still a decent value for money.