NORMALLY prizes are reserved for the elite athletes who take part in runs but one lucky Herts 10K runner has been rewarded with a holiday in the sun.

Last October, David Chalk took part in the Herts 10K along with 3,000 other runners. He has competed in every Herts 10K since the event started in 2006 and asks friends and families to sponsor his run.

He raised over �50 for the hospice and was automatically entered into a prize draw to win a holiday, courtesy of Thomson Holidays. He was delighted to find that his name had been drawn as the winner.

On his recent return with his family from their week’s holiday David said: “It was terrific and even better for being free! I rarely win anything, so to be rung in darkest winter and told that I had won a family summer holiday in sun-kissed Turkey was amazing.

“We were treated by Thomson Holidays to an all inclusive week at Sarigerme, a beautiful resort on the coast, and had a wonderful time. All that for taking just a little time to raise some sponsorship on behalf of the Grove House hospice and the vitally important support it provides to our local community, I feel very lucky and privileged.”

The Herts 10K was the first ever race that David took part in. Spurred on by his children who teased him about becoming an unfit, slightly overweight, man, he took up running. A work colleague who was a regular marathon runner encouraged him to have a goal to aim for so it was then that he entered the newly-created 10K.

Since then he has never looked back, regularly taking part in numerous 10K runs and has completed both London and Berlin marathons.

Each year David returns to the Herts 10K, the event that started it all off. He said: “The Herts 10K remains one of my favourite events. It’s a scenic route and is a really great race. Every year the event gets better and better with more people taking part.”

The Herts 10K run is now firmly fixed in the racing calendar, attracting runners from not just St Albans and Harpenden but also further afield. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, October 9, starting once again at Rothamsted Research.

Thomson Holidays are sponsoring the event again and are offering two holidays as an incentive for people to raise money for the hospice. Prizes include a holiday to Florida and an all inclusive holiday to Menorca.

To find out more about the run and the holidays on offer visit www.herts10k.com