IT really was the end of the road for Doncaster Athletic Club official Roy Veal following the 15th annual Doncaster Town Centre Road Race Series on Wednesday night.
"I have changed jobs and I am working a bit longer hours - and there are also other reasons - so I have dedided to have a break from doing the entries and the results," he said.
"I've done all 15 Doncaster Town Centre Road Races, in addition to the Doncaster half marathon's and the South Yorkshire Road Race League going back nearly 20 years.
"Even though I won't be directly involved next year, I will be on hand to offer advice to whoever takes over.
"Doncaster Athtletic Club have just set up a comittee to look at promoting road races in the Doncaster area because it is getting more difficult to organise events every year due to police restrictions.
"Having said that we have had tremendous support from the police when it comes to the Town Centre Road meeting and I can't thank them enough.
"I went to the first committee meeting and told them what is involved in putting on a race. Most people think that a race just happens on the night and they don't realise all the work that goes on in the background.
"The race is the completion of a lot of work which starts months before.
"Every race presents its own individual problems, whether it be road works or whatever, but the general running and organisatiom remains the same.
"What has tended to happen in recent years is that people are leaving it later to enter. People don't want to enter a race weeks in advancea and then get injured and not b able to compete.
"I have been getting two-thirds of entries for an event in the last two weeks before a race."
The first big race that Roy will not be directly involved in will be the 2009 Doncaster half marathon.
"It will have to move from its Hatfield Lakes base due to traffic restrictions," he sad. "I think the organisers are looking at a route which starts and finishes at the athletics track."
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