And so it was in March as Handicap winner Michelle Homden crossed the line with more energy than an Easter bunny on EPO. She was followed – a whole two minutes later – by Guy O’Keefe and podium hogger Fliss Berridge. A special mention too for Ben Stanton in fourth – he was yawning so widely at the start-line that the Handicap Team feared he was still in hibernation.

Further down the field, there were PBs for Melanie McCullagh, Tom Bartlett, Dave Bentley, Steve Thomas and Alex Jeffreys. The Handicappers also note the impressively lung-busting finish from Ian Johnson, and the nail-bitingly close battle for best age-graded runner. In the end, Andrew Roberts edged out Andrew Maynard by 0.1 per cent. The fastest runner was Huw Lobb (again) on 24.03.

But the honorary award for performance of the month must go to Tamara Lopez. Tamara agreed to cover the vital numbers-and-x-for-scratch-runnners-giver-outer role on the Handicap Team, then had to cycle to Hyde Park at the last moment because her tube was cancelled. After all that, she ran the race itself despite being pregnant, recording a PB. (Sadly that last bit isn’t quite true -Tamara was last – but, hey, it’s the effort that counts).

At the Handicap, though, every helper is a hero, and thanks must go to all this month’s volunteers: Maria Bain, Charlotte Lane, Matt Hardcastle, Phil Chesworth, Pete Mackintosh, Jane Fahey, Jon Knox, Anthony Stranger Jones, Bev Thomas, Hans Ho Yue-Hang, Eda Korkmaz, Gary Burton, Diana Valk.

See you in April, folks
Your Handicap Team