More than 30 keen Muskies conquered the 4-mile Duckponds race at Plymstock..
That is a pretty amazing turn-out for a Saturday evening and was remarked on appreciatively by the organisers as the Musketeers seemed to dominate the club entries of 138, judging by the numbers of turquoise shirts buzzing around.
The route is far from the idyllic village green type of run the name might lead you to believe.
It is one of the trickiest routes on the circuit with hardly any straight stretches and most of it is off-road through woodland or grass and some slippery stony sections.
To add to the difficulty there are off-set fences with gaps which slow runners to a mere walk, a sleeping policeman, sharp bends, adverse camber on wet grass and a near-invisible trench to leap across.
This was the first race for a handful of runners (including Frances) and what a baptism by fire it was. I hope they are not deterred from other races by the experience – it may be relatively short, but does require constant hard work to keep going. There are many easier races coming up.
Special mention goes to our top ten finisher and fastest runner in the club – Barry Dawe. The Muskies made a good showing in more than numbers.
By Guy