Why is it that whenever LBAC enter a summer relay, it's always boiling hot? The MKAC runners obviously had a bit of inside knowledge as LBAC managed to turn out three teams this year, which was just as many as MK.

The race is a four leg relay, starting and finishing in Stony Stratford, using redways, footpaths and canal towpaths to go around the outside edge of Milton Keynes in a 31 mile race with legs of 10.1, 5.6, 9.6 and 6 miles. The idea is that you everyone predicts their time and starts are based on your teams total prediction, with the idea being that we all finish at the same time (similar to the Stag).

There are trophies for the fastest team with an age related adjustment and for the fastest team outright, so having quick old people is the ideal way forward! It is pretty low key event with the idea being a focus on the social side and getting to know the other local runners as the results are done in the pub afterwards.

The four teams that LBAC entered started in 4^th, 5^th and 6^th out of the seven teams taking part with only a very strong team from MK chasing us down. Now, the problem that we had is that everyone looked at the distances and gave their predicted time based on that, however, every leg had a few gates and stiles to get through (one had over 15 of the buggers!) overgrown paths to trample down ridiculous temperatures to contend with. The recommendation for next year is that we plan early and get recce's done before suggesting times.

As it turned out, Jane's Joggers and Amy's Amigo's were extremely well matched, with Jane's team starting 1 minute behind and finishing 30 seconds in front, which is extraordinarily close after a race of that distance. Amanda's Army struggled with the heat a little more than the others and so came home a few minutes afte the others, but were still the fourth quickest team on the day. The fastest team were late entries from MK who came through the field to come home in second place with the other two Leighton teams filling the gap. In the age related side of things, Amy's Amigo's just sneaked second place behind the same MK team, in what was otherwise a pretty closely fought category. Full results are on the Results page, although the timing was a little "sketchy" and so individual times might be up to a minute out, but the totals are spot on!