BRIAN Hughes had no idea the club run he began 25 years ago would turn out to be so big.

The Knavesmire Harriers president is preparing to welcome another 1,200-plus field tomorrow as the Brass Monkey half-marathon celebrates its quarter century.

Some of Britain's top distance runners will be in the field, competing for top honours on the course which runs from Bishopthorpe Road, through the village, towards Acaster Malbis, around the old airfield and back again.

Hughes organised the first race in 1983, competed and handed out the prizes afterwards - giving the race its unusual title following the inclement weather which greeted its first running.

"It was very difficult then," he remembered. "The club wasn't very big and the first year was run in four inches of snow.

"When we set off we had a car following the race but it got stuck on the ice - it was so cold.

"That's why we called it the Brass Monkey race."

Branded Britain's favourite road race by club runners across the country, the contest has gone from strength to strength, with chiefs this year having to disappoint more than 800 runners when the entry list became full.

Hughes says he has too many highlights of the race to mention in detail but says one of his best is getting Carolyn Hunter-Rowe to run in the event.

She then joined Knavesmire Harriers and wore club colours when setting three subsequent world records for distance running. Hunter-Rowe, a former England international, won the world 100k championship.

Expansion in the future has also not been ruled out and Hughes believes the race is now an institution.

"The Brass Monkey will carry on going from strength to strength," he added.

"We may look in the future to get another couple of hundred runners in and, as far as tomorrow's race is concerned, we hope the weather will be fine.

"We have come a long way since the first event. It was meant as a runner's race - one of those things where you went to meet people and see friends.

"There have been just too many good memories in the last 25 years."

  • Don't miss The Press on Monday for a full report and pictures from tomorrow's Brass Monkey race.