Summer was made for races like this. The temperatures soared into the 80's. the course would have challenged the toughest of competitors and the setting was of such blissful tranquility that it could have been conjured from the pages of a Hardy novel. The Wyre Forest Half Marathon is, in the lexicon of locals, a real corker. The scenery is awesome, and the organisation beyond compare. If you've not experienced the true joy of an off-road woodland half, book your place now for next year's event. Even a mountain goat could not hope to run a personal best here; the one-in-four hill a few yards from the finish eliminates all hope of fast times. Winner Robin Sedman-Smith was the only sub 1:20 finisher, in an impressive 1:19:46; Holme Pierrepont's Mary Mills was first woman, in 1:36:07. However, fast times are of little concern to competitors here. The people who take on events like this have the word 'determination' running through their core, much as the rock sold at Blackpool bears the name of the resort. People run to see how far mind and body will go, to learn the limits of their physique and the boundaries of their psyche. The course itself is stunning. It meanders along a maze-like route, through woodland tracks overgrown with horse chestnuts and beside babbling brooks sparkling in the sun. The sense of satisfaction as runners crossed the line was tangible. They came, they saw, they conkered.