Pendle Lodge of Freemasons

Well not exactly; running 10k is not on the agenda book for most of us in Pendle Lodge, but we did manage to support the event by providing marshals along the route to provide a safe environment for the runners and public alike. Once again Freemasonry was active in the community.

The sun shone and the sky was bright blue, but the wind was really cruel for the marshalls that volunteered for the 10K run. Meeting at 7:45 AM was an early start for many and a bit of confusion reigned until our section controller turned up and took charge of the 20+ eager volunteers, many of them already having years of Pendleside Hospice Midnight Walk experience.

We drew the lucky town center section with McDonald’s and Costa Coffee within walking distance for an easy fix of caffeine and bacon bap. Little did we know that the cold wind whipping down Manchester Road would drive us back there after the run.
The sight of 1500+ runners, some very serious, was spectacular as they set off from the start line and made their way down Manchester Road and the 10 kilometer route around the town. Support from the general public was a little sparse being a 9:30 am start but nonetheless many runners made a superb effort in their fundraising. One or two runners took the fancy dress route and there was also a team carrying full battle dress, which from memory is at least 45 Ibs.
The first runner back was a very impressive 28-year-old student Tarus Elly, from Manchester who’s lazy long pace seemed almost effortless in comparison to the huge effort displayed by the following field. By this time Burnley’s town center was filled with onlookers and supporters clapping and encouraging friends and family across the finishing line. By 11:30 almost all of the runners had returned and achieved their targets of raising funds and meeting personal best times, it was also time that the chilly wind reminded the marshalls it was time to get back into McDonald’s for a warm up and another coffee.
The volunteers had a great morning at the event with many of them looking forward to the next challenge of the Pendleside Hospice Midnight Walk.

Many thanks to amatuer photographer Andy Engel for the following pictures.

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