We all know how the North Yorkshire Coast Has many beautiful places to boast A lesser known spot is Castle Mulgrave They let us run once a year on their private estate A 10k trail classed as “undulating” Now someone is guilty of excess understating “You’ll love it” says Sue “it is really nice” I’m sure Sue’s said that before, once or twice The race directors our own Tony and Brenda Prerace entries for Loftus just three from each gender But on the day we had a full team Eight men, seven women, grand total fifteen As a Mulgrave virgin I got quite concerned About this hill at the end when your energy’s burnt My friends may have warned me but not one of them did Till I’d already signed up and paid the ten quid That’s when I was enlightened with relish “You may run 9.8 but you’ll walk up to t’finish” The first mile was downhill and a bit of a lark Then through a tunnel, watch your footing its dark! Back into the sunlight blinking like a mole But the path was quite sound not too many holes Plenty of marshals from Loftus and Whitby When they shout my name it gives me energy The miles they ticked by and at three and a quarter We all got the chance to take on some water When I dispensed with my plastic cup Through the ford, round the corner and another hill up The next two and a half miles felt really good Then back through the tunnel to the start of the woods Then the part I’d been dreading all along I must run up this hill to prove them all wrong How I managed that God only knows My legs they were aching from bum to my toes When I recovered I went back to the finishing line To cheer other runners who finished behind Results time and our club was quite a success A handful of prizes, no more, no less The helpers got cake for the hard work they had done Ne’er mind us poor sods who’d actually run! I’m glad I was tricked into the Mulgrave 10k It was yet another wonderful day!
