After spraining both ankles 'Cheese Rolling' in Gloucester at the start of the month, it was looking very doubtful I would hare the run at Codicote, but made it in the end.

The trail took forever to lay as I spent 3 hours on Sunday and another 2 hours on the Monday walking every inch of the trail. I am still unsure how I went through 4 boxes and 3 bags of flour must be record!

The pack (20) circled up at 7.30 and I introduced my nominated co hares, Ringkisser and Penetrator. They had detailed maps and I had talked them through the run earlier just in case my ankles gave way.

The pack was sent off towards Welwyn along the main road; they ran through a false and were called back. The trail lay across the main road and south. The pack came to the first check and managed to find the real trail after exhausting all the falsies.

The pack regrouped after missing a bar and scattering in a field. It was then On On back to the main road. After much milling around, the trail was found back into town and through the estate. Captain Fantastic led the pack into the fields and towards Rableyheath, only to be called back as it was a falsie. Sludge decided he knew the way and disappeared up another footpath never to be seen again (pack of 19).

The trail carried on up through the estate and to the next check, with no dramas it was on again. The pack ran through a bar check but were called back and plodded along the pathways zig zagging their way through the estate and back to the main road west of the Codicote. The two false trails were tested but with little enthusiasm as all could see a clearly marked footpath on the opposite side of the road!

The pack bolted off down the trail and ended up at a check with 'first five to the back', I was puzzled as no one ran passed me and found the '5' had been conveniently kicked out. I shall remember that next time I hit one of them!

The pack then split, Penetrator took the main pack off on a loop across the fields and through the woods. Where the pack got completely lost down a false trail and had to come back to the check. The rest of the pack including myself plodded down the road to a held check.

After 5 minutes no one turned up so Ringkisser took the 'knitting Circle' back to the pub to watch the England Match. The pack finally turned up and we all headed up a very steep hill back towards Codicote. The back markers and myself were pleasantly surprised to catch up with the front of the pack as they came back from a nice long bar check. We all then headed back to the town to a ladies check.

As the second half of the England match beckoned the pack was swiftly guided through the houses and down the hill past the 'On Inn' to a packed pub full of the 'Red, White and Blue'.

The circle was delayed as Captain Fantastic, his family and I watched the match and were finally dragged away to allow proceedings to get under way.

There were down downs for the hares...

On On

Airscrew, Ringkisser and Penetrator