These days, I don’t usually bother to enter events shorter than 16 km as I tend to run about 12 km for training runs anyway, but even though the Wilkinson Trophy Road Race is only 10 km long, it is just too special to miss.
It is held on the back roads of Kaipara Flats, slightly north west of Warkworth. I love the fact that the primary sponsor is an elderly lady called Mrs Wilkinson (I believe she is the widow of the originator of the event) who donates a sum of money for the multiple spot prizes.
The race itself is as basic as they come, with just the one water station shortly after the half way mark. The roads aren’t particularly busy and the first 7 km is nice and flat. The 8 km mark is at the top of a steep hill, and the 9 km mark just across the road on the return journey. The two steep sides of this hill destroy any hopes of a personal best based on a quick time over the first 7 km.
After the last walkers and runners have finished, there is a country afternoon tea with sandwiches of every description, chocolate cake and other sweet treats. The whole event is one of the highlights of my year, and it is one of the five events that I do every year.
Night Cycling 