They came from the left; they came from the right. From all sides approached the most unearthly of sights. Pallid vampires covered in shining crimson blood; a host of hideous zombies depicting the most vacant of expressions; and emerging from the woodlands, a family of wild and furious looking werewolves! With such a range of costumes and colour so vibrant and exciting, it was inevitable that this was going to be a Halloween running party like no other.

These were just a few of the awesome outfits worn by runners and volunteers alike, all gathered together on the morning of Sunday 30^th October, for the Trick or Treat Run London 2016. More than 2,500 participants assembled amongst the beautiful greenery of Richmond Park, closed that day exclusively for runners, and it was great to see so many of all ages taking part and fully committing to the Halloween theme.

With distances of 2km, 5km or 10km to choose from, as well as a variety of Halloween-themed zones, including the brand new ‘Egyptian Mummy’ and ‘Ghost Pirate’ zones, runners were treated to a plethora of features, both new and returning favourites. Halloween has never looked so good… or so scary!

Just as the spooktacular atmosphere was building to a crescendo in the event village, it was time for our 10km runners to take on their run. The Trick or Treat Run London doesn’t hold back when it comes to experiences, so today all 5km and 10km participants got to run through a glorious six different Halloween themed zones. With a howl and much whooping and hollering, they were off! Never has Richmond Park seen so many ghoulishly excited 10km runners. It was incredible to see so many carefully thought out costumes, jogging around the park.

As the race got underway though it was Gonzalo Garcia Villanueva who began to pull away, setting down an early marker. The chasing pack could never quite pull Gonzalo back as he went onto record an otherworldly time of 36:37. In second place, Paul Bachini would have won many other races. But Gonzalo was just too fast today, maybe spurred on by being so scared of all the spooky surprises on the route! He’ll be pleased with his time of 37:29 and you’ll never have as much fun coming second as you do at London’s biggest Halloween Party, the mighty Trick or Treat Run London. Finishing in a rapid and impressive third was Michael Smith (38:19).

On the ladies’ side, we again saw one athlete produce some devastating form, veritably putting on a Halloween butchering of the challenging course. Finishing in a time of 39:33 and winning by nearly two minutes, Lindy-Lee Folscher can be hugely proud of such a strong run. Our runner up was Hannah Wright who pulled a performance out of the very top drawer, to smash her 10km in 41:20. Rounding off the 10km podium was Sarah Maile (41:46) who completed an extremely rapid trio of runners. Wow!

The 5km racing had barely got underway by the time the 10km winners were already finishing. But they were ready to party. So many costumes, a giant social mix of family and friends; and a willingness to embrace the event, created a buzzing atmosphere like you wouldn’t believe. It was carnival time at the start line – and we loved it! In all races though, there must be a top three and the 5km runners weren’t just party animals, they were also impressive athletes.

Will Gallimore stormed home to win the 5km – his time of 18:09 was a run of eerie perfection! The battle for second and third was as captivating as a newly spun spider’s web though and in the end James Kilkenny (18:43) pipped Chris Mound (19:26) to the pumpkin and took the accolade. Well done to both.

The ladies’ race was a full-blown Halloween showdown between three titans of the 5km discipline and a fabulous display of young talent. None of them shied away from the battle. Chiara Feleppa (21:27) took the title, magnificently negotiating the six Halloween themed zones to not drop any time; despite the best efforts of our zombies! Perhaps it was because they had needed to weave through our Egyptian Mummies, or maybe they were distracted by the Pumpkin Zone, but young Millie Foster (21:56) and 9 (!) year old Rosalie Laban (23:36) came in second and third, just behind Chiara.

It should also be noted that the Trick or Treat 5km showed off the very best of the young talent that will one day storm through the ranks to become the stars of the future. 3 of the top 10 were under the age of 16 and produced rapid times! A huge well done to Mac Douglas (21:44), Millie Foster (21:56) and Hugo Knowles (22:12) – we’ll keep an eye out for your names at the top of the results tables at future events!

To round off a day filled with highs, our 2km runners took the start line at around 11.50am. They were all devilishly keen. Ready and raring to go, virtually from the moment that they had arrived in the Richmond Park event village. As so many were aged 6 and under, our strong suspicion is that this may have had something to do with the strong allure of sweets and the pull of the ‘Treat’ side of the UK’s only dual ‘Trick or Treat Finish Line’. The kids were a sight to behold though, costumes of all sorts, creativity personified and smiles so wide they were wrapping entire faces!

Leading the guys around most of the 2km lap was Jack Bryce-Smith – he was a picture of happiness as he crossed the line first in 9:29. Second place went to Luc Raphael (10:12) and third to an ever-closing Conor Williams in 10:30. For the ladies, it was a similar story, with Jasmine Vigar (8:50) taking control early and never relinquishing it. Like a vampire locked in for the bite! Never quite able to catch up, but always in contention were Alicia Zwkk (9:53) and Sarah Donovan (10:07).

It’s not all about the racing on days like this though, official event charity, Breast Cancer Care look set to fundraise more than £40,000, so if you can, please set up a last minute JustGiving page and try to raise whatever you can after taking part. If you already have a fundraising page, it’s never too late to send it around one more time, now that you’ve achieved the challenge you set yourself. Encourage friends, family and colleagues to all be generous for such a fantastic cause.

We also wanted to cast the spotlight on the uniquely designed Trick or Treat Run London, glow-in-the-dark medal, something all runners wanted to get their hands on to commemorate the day. It is quite the exclusive piece of bling! As always, the medals were handed out along with the ever-popular Treat Bags, and thirst-quenching Vita Coco. All at the brilliant, and the UK’s only, dual Trick or Treat Finish, which featured the perilous biohazard ‘Gunge Zone’ for those brave enough to bear it.

For anyone wanting to relive their haunting experience, the event photos will be posted up on the Human Race Facebook page whilst all chip times from the run can be seen on our website.

Many thanks to all those who took part. All of your spooky Trick or Treat outfits combined with your unrelenting enthusiasm made for a very special day. We hope to see you all again very soon!

For anyone interested in keeping up his or her fitness during the winter months, our Off-Road Series commences with WildMan on 19^th November. Filled with gruelling trail runs and muddy duathlons, the Series is the perfect opportunity to keep up the feel good factor and to stay active through winter.

See you soon!