Various bits of startling news today. First one is no tanks. Second one is the new dictionary definition of excitement. The level of news you receive has now been downgraded so what was previously considered quite exciting is now really exciting. This is how the times are a changing. The specific example this morning involved a half marathon and a bowl of shreddies. Sat having my breakfast and logging everyone's miles and an email pops up from a fellow Mini Inner informing me they've just done a half marathon. Now that's exciting. Well done DGB. Sorry P2Sers.
Other big miles were logged by Si P for Mini Inn and Emily for P2S. It still leaves a huge gap of 145 miles between the two teams and "death to P2S". The reason for the quotation marks is to attribute the comments to the originator, Mini Inns own Mr Smithey who considered yelling it when he saw P2S' Elliot out clocking up mileage. Love a bit of banter.
Fortunately for P2S they get a second bite of the cherry and in the words of Blofeld in one of my favourite films, you only live twice Pocket to Socket. Ok so maybe he didn't say pocket to socket but they will live again in the next challenge.
Mini Inn are 145.73 miles from Red Square near the town of Otnosovo. I say near because the town they are actually in is made up of characters that you can't find on my keyboard let alone pronounce so Otnosovo it is. Seems like a good place to be because there is supposed to be hundreds of tonnes of Soviet gold hidden in the hills above Otnosovo. Just don't tell anyone I told you but we now have a valid reason to do hill sprints. Oh and don't tell Coach I said that either.
Here's Otnosovo, picture postcard type of place I'm sure you'll agree.
Meanwhile, P2S are approaching the Belarus - Russian border and are in the town of Orsha. They've got 334.91 miles left to go v 145.73 for Mini Inn, the latter being a decent ultra run for Jo B.
FK Orsha play in the top division of the Belarus football league and look like a class outfit. In their first three matches of the current season they lost 4-1 and 3-0 both at home and then got hammered 8-1 but the might of Lida in their third match. FK Orsha are praying more than any other team in Europe that the current lockdown results in the abandonement of the season with all results declared null and void. If P2S stick around they might get a game.
Anyway, here's Orsha. The football team is that bad the locals have removed all the seats and put them in the town centre. Pretty sight it is too.
Well done everyone, it's great to read the messages coming in on Facebook and by email. Keep them coming and watch out for the next challenge coming soon.