Summer Solstice

As the earth turns on its axis it also tilts. The degree of the tilt varies throughout the year - meaning different parts of the world are either closer or further away from the sun - and hence receive more or less daylight on a given day. It's because of this tilt and the changing daylight hours that we have seasons. During summer for the Northern Hemisphere the earths axis is pointing towards the sun, and we have more daylight hours than during winter. The summer solstice marks the day when we have the most daylight hours.

The exact time and date of the solstice varies each year, but it always falls around 20 or 21 June. This year it is at 10:51am on Saturday 21 June 2014.

The word solstice is derived from the Latin words sol (meaning sun) and sistere (meaning to stand still). This is the point where the sunrise and sunset appear to reverse direction and after this point daylight hours begin to get shorter again. That is until the winter solstice on 21 December, when the cycle returns to lengthening daylight hours.

Running Delights are celebrating the summer solstice with a gentle off-road run from Old Glossop. We'll leave from the turning circle at 10am. See our facebook page to book on (£5 per person) and for more details closer to the date.

Janathon #08 Global Therapies Dawn Patrol

An early start today, setting out at 5.50am to be at Glossop leisure centre for the weekly 6am Global Therapies Dawn Patrol run.

Four of us gathered and set off on a loop around Derbyshire level. The first challenge is to keep running up Cliffe Road - a very steep gradient that lasts about 400m in total, with small steps and determination we all reached the top. The route then levels off for a bit before a gradual climb of about 500m to the furthest point out. The road then undulates and to entertain us along the way we heard an owl....and then as we dropped down to Sheffield Road we saw another owl up close. We must have disturbed it as we turned the corner as it flew off, up over the hedge and into the trees. Shining my torch up into the branches must have disturbed it again as it then flew off and all four of us saw it. Now that's worth the early start.

A lovely run with good company, making the kilometres pass very easily. Since getting back I've had breakfast, post-run coffee and made flapjack that's just out of the oven. That's the snack sorted for elevenses.