AFTER the back to back half marathons of recent weeks which take a hell of a lot out of you, it was a relief to step into a race a lot less gruelling and pressurised.

The Prestwold Hall 10km is a new event organised by Barrow Runners in Leicestershire. For years they had organised a 10-mile race, but in the end feedback from the running community that the race was too hot and hilly, plus ever-increasing traffic problems, forced a rethink.

That prompted the 10km which is staged at Prestwold Hall, which despite its grand name, is a disused airfield and now a racetrack, just outside of Loughborough.

Driving to the race I was uncertain whether there would be many hills, but this was a pretty flat race with just a few rises.

Liz was there, as was my youngest son Ross who came with us in his specially adapted stroller. The organisers had given me race number one, but we started at the back of the field as the race started on the main runway.

There had been flooding from the banks of the nearby River Soar and heavy overnight rain led to a feeling that we would get soaked on. But fortunately the rain clouds held off just until the end of the race.

The race route was a figure of eight around the old airfield. As routes go, it was pretty boring and uninteresting, but I stayed with Liz pushing Ross along and enjoying the slower pace.

Liz did find the run a struggle, it was just one of those days, for me it was good to step off the gas, to give Ross a good run out and to chat with other runners as we ambled along.

We managed to finish the 10km in 58min 15sec, well outside Liz's personal best, but another race ticked off my list.

Good race mementos of a paperweight and a pack of cards!