Every once in a while, one peach on a tree is formed absolutely perfectly; one wave in a set could not be better shaped or timed; one line of a poem captures a truth utterly… we are left in wordless wonder …

… and every once in a while, a day just tumbles out of the heavens and spreads itself across the sky as though it owns the place, perfectly shaped and formed in every aspect: its light, its air, its fragrance, its nuance, its silent fulness.

Today was such a day, offering itself to us unreservedly: sovereign, auspicious, impeccable, adorable. A day for complete enjoyment, for giving of oneself and living with every fibre of one’s being. And so, naturally, it became a day for records.

Not surprisingly, long-standing course records were set in all three distances across the following categories:

2 miles: Male 17 and Over (and outright course record) – Liam McHugh, 10:48
5 miles: Male Under 50 (and outright course record) – Shamsher Foley, 27:40
5 miles: Male 60-69 – Matthew Hills, 33:18
5 miles: Female 70 and Over – Polly Templeton, 50:14
Half-Marathon: Female 50-59 – Sharon O’Neill, 1:38:06
Half-Marathon: Female 70 and Over – Clare Wall, 1:57:14