The traditional Good Friday Folkestone 10 is one of our Kent-based reporter's favourite events but our man Alan missed out on this year's 40th anniversary edition race and commemorative medal due to a combination of the dreaded coughing virus (non-Covid) and a plumbing emergency (home, not personal)!

By all accounts, it was a cracking race despite the windy conditions on the seafront between Hythe and Folkestone. A recent storm had dumped piles of shingle on one part of the route and it was a case of volunteers and brooms to the fore as members of the host club Folkestone Running Club did a magnificent job clearing the course (before and after photos here on Facebook). 

The race is limited to 800 entries as the promenade can get busy with day-trippers, dog walkers, cyclists, and other users of this popular route. The 2024 tally was 683 finishers in 2:26:28. The race was started by the first-ever winner in 1984, Mike Gratton, whose course record of 48:45 has withstood all attacks since it was set in 1985.

Folkestone 10 starts on the grass of Hythe Green and runners head immediately for the coast, joining the concrete promenade to Folkestone and the halfway turn. Then it's flat out on this flat, out and back course to finish back on Hythe Green. Of course, the wind plays a big part in whether the route is as fast as it promises on paper and this year it was very windy indeed.

Despite the conditions, 17 men beat the hour and seven women went under 70 minutes. The men's champion was Josh Carr (Cambridge & Coleridge AC, 53:13) – on his 10-mile debut. He was closely followed by M40 Barry Stephenson (Dartford Harriers AC, 53:23) – who reprised his runner-up finish from last year – and Dan Bradley (Tonbridge AC, 54:41).

The top three women were last year's runner-up Charlotte Johnston (Maidstone Harriers, 1:05:10), W45 Emma Stevens (Petts Wood Runners, 1:06:11) and Emma Elston (Thames Hare & Hounds, 1:06:32 PB) – who improved from fifth last year.

Meanwhile, our roving reporter was reduced to a serious case of FOMO as results appeared on runABC South's comprehensive results listing here.

Previous results and race reports are at runABC South race listing here.

Photo courtesy Andy Wright for Folkestone Running Club on Facebook