The inaugural Hope Rising Cross Country run was held at the Avon Tyrell Youth Centre in Hampshire on Saturday 19th February 2011.

The day started rainy and wet but by 8 o’clock the rain had stopped and although the sun did not appear, the weather was mild and an ideal day for this scenic run. Over 80 runners arrived and ran a track that was very wet, but this only added to the fun for some!!

The feedback from the runners was very positive. Comments were that the track was challenging, hard, very good, a real cross country course, and a real pleasure to run. There were a few areas where the marshalling could have been better and these areas will be addressed for next year. The run was well organised and all runners received a medal as a memento and over 30 spot prizes were given away to those who remained for the presentation.

Many thanks to Chris Potter and his team for their invaluable advice, and help.

Thanks to Avon Tyrell for a very good venue