Sometimes I have to take a deep breath at the end of a race.

Our Beat The Sunset 5k event, which I had the pleasure of putting on last Sunday, is always fast paced but this year had the extra momentum of featuring runners from a grand total of 24 different clubs, a new course record and a surprise catch-up with an old school friend.

Fortunately, I’ve had a lie down since then, so let me tell you all about it…

I always get a good feeling about an event when the sun actually comes out and for once we’ve had a lot of that recently. Beat The Sunset is always a great social event and from the moment people started arriving at our parking at West Lodge Farm there was a real buzz.

That was something which spread through to registration at Targetcraft Archers’ West Lodge Rural Centre base as we welcomed entrants from those 24 running clubs, as well as 69 unaffiliated runners.

It was fantastic to see so may different runners chatting about their varying aims for the race as they took the short walk to the start line.

That said, Beat The Sunset has always been famed as a super fast 5k and this race was no different, with Fynn Batkin flying home to finish in first place in a course record of 14 minutes and 37 seconds.

He was followed home by Haydn Arnall (15:24) and Josh Geddes (15:42) in second and third place overall, while Steve Montgomery was the first wheelchair racer to finish, clocking 15 minutes 46.

Fynn, Haydn and Josh are pictured at the top of this article.