С( контрольная) last week well over a thousand people (1) took place/took part in our local round-the-city 10-kilometre fun run. this kind of race doesn’t normally (2) appeal to me/amuse me, as, frankly, i’m not really (3) cut out for/right for long distance running. but i’ve got two friends who are dead keen runners and who keep going on about the (4) beneficial/positive effects of running. so i decided to run, partly for that reason and partly to (5) earn/raise money for charity. friends and colleagues agreed to (6) sponsor/support me, and pay for each mile i completed. well, i hadn’t done much training for the big event, and after two kilometers i was (7) gasping/panting for breath, so i settled down to a slow jog and resigned myself to plodding along with the (8) strugglers/stragglers at the back of the race. at least i finished, and was very pleased with myself, as i didn’t need to stop. i timed myself with a stop-watch, and reckon i (9) crossed/ran over the finishing line in 43 minutes – not bad for a novice. the heat proved too much for a few people who’d gone off too fast for their capabilities and ended up (10) suffering from/showing exhaustion. apparently, the course was very fast, and both of my friends ran a (11) personal best/personal record. the winner (12) surpassed/broke the course record. i was actually vey impressed with the whole event; the organization was first-class, with medical volunteers (13) on duty/on standby throughout, and drinks (14) stops/stations every few kilometers of the route. so now the charity of my choice is £150 the richer, and as for me, i’m well and truly bitten by the running bug. i go running with my friends regularly now, and i’m actually starting to (15) catch up with/get near to them!
