Sunny Sutton Park

Ah sunny Sutton Park! The first thing I have noticed about Sutton Park over the years is it is in a really nice part of Birmingham, it is a lovely park.....but the front of the park has most 'Chavs' in one spot than any other small area, I actually feared for my life as I drove out to leave (I am sure I spotted a few from Jeremy Kyle too).

Going back to when I arrived with Dan 'The Man' Mulhare I walked up to the new Belgrave tent only to see two old guys chatting about the old days, Dave Anderson and Richard Ward...I thought I had walked back into the Belgrave team of the 90's! The new tent felt much more spacious which was nice and sat down to put my race number on the extra small shirt as apparently the American sizes are made for bigger people (who would of thought Americans were fatter). On my walk around the park it felt like groundhog day with Tipton and Swansea's tent's hiding behind the tents facing the finish, Bedford and Newham's team by the toilets (why they choose there I am not too sure but they seem happy over there) and of course Aldershot with their tent...I say tent, what I actually mean is a shit load of bags sprawled all over a big patch of grass. How health and safety allow that is beyond me, I have seen some people throw their rubbish there thinking it's a dumping ground for waste! O and how can I forget Phil Nicholls sporting a tip top all over tan, its then you know it must be the 12 stage.

Of course there was no room for the cheating Norwich this year so no coloured matching socks to light up proceedings but if you do the crime you have to do the time...you know who you are! As usual though the race throws up some random performances which depends what leg you get and who is around you etc... but seeing 'Wicksy' nearly 27mins brought a tear to my eye, I actually saw a women pass him on dog leg and I nearly pulled him out of the race...it was like watching Bruno taking a beating off Tyson!

Most of the day you chat to all friends while hearing "If we had..." or "Next year we will have...", as Chris Moss once said "If one more person tells me they have someone missing in their team I will punch them straight in the mouth". I also think it is good to see teams from Scotland and Wales getting in the top 10 rather having the best teams from the South of England battling it out. I never buy the old line off it's not the same if you don't all go to school together, live in the same house and run every run together it wont mean anything. If you want to run for your local club and the one you ran for as a 10 year old then great but don't try and kid yourself teams made up from all over the country don't get on well and enjoy the win as much as anyone else.

It was a good day though and as the saying goes 'you have to experience defeat to enjoy the victories' and all was not lost as I made a new friend who was a mini version of Mark Pollard...he was only about 2 or 3 years old but he was loving my watch and itouch and by the time his mum and dad took him home for some dinner I had taught him a few new tricks...Punch Sp8y (Neil Speaight) in the arm, put James Kelly's size 12 trainers on, out stare 'Wicksy' which not many can do and do the high five...I was also very lucky to be given some of his favourite 'french fries' crisps.

Well done to Newham boys, Tipton, and the Scots (and Eritreans) and Swansea for a top 10 finish hopefully I can see the boys Tuesday and my foot doesn't react to yesterdays effort. How could I nearly forget Lily winning the ladies with the Swansea girls not far behind in second.

Simx