For the 13th year, the race also incorporated the Scottish Students’ Road Race Championships and this year the East of Scotland championships returned too, as well as the British Masters Athletic Federation throwing their six-mile championships into the mix.
Falkirk provost Billy Buchanan started the race, with runners completing 500 metres on the track before heading out of Grangemouth Stadium.
Shettleston Harrier Peter Avent quickly stamped his authority on the race, opening up a lead from Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist Owen Miller, of Fife, with Iain Whitikar, of Edinburgh, and David Wright, of Lothian Running Club, hot on their heels.
Those first two positions were held until the finish, with Avent winning in a time of 30 minutes 23 seconds, 56 seconds in front of Miller. Third place went to Whitikar with 32:13, with Wright a close fourth a second behind.
Michael Sanderson, of Dundee University, was the first under-20 athlete home, in 16th place on 33:39.
The Jim Dingwall Quaich, presented to the first male Falkirk Victoria Harrier, was won by Grant Matheson, finishing 131st overall in 41:02.
In the masters age groups, Colin Whitby, of Garscube Harriers, with 32:24, was the leading man over 40 and sixth overall, winning by seven seconds from previous victor Grant Baillie, of East Kilbride, and Andrew Wright, of Dunfermline’s PH Racing Club, with 33:11, in third place.
Stephen Wylie, of Cambuslang Harriers, with 33:34, was a new winner in the category for men over 50 and 15th all told.
Top masters performance of the day was by Alastair Walker, of Teviotdale Harriers in the Borders, his time of 34:36 being a new world record for his over-65 age group and getting him back 32nd overall.
The masters 70-plus class was won by Malcolm Hammond, of PH Racing Club, in a time of 43:42.
The first female finisher, and 13th overall, was Annabel Simpson, competing for University of West of Scotland, in a new course record time of 33:25 to become East of Scotland and Scots students’ 10K champion.
Garscube Harriers’ Katy White, in 38:05, took the female masters over-40 title, with Falkirk Victoria Harrier Fiona Matheson, a former individual winner, continuing her rich vein of current form by taking second place, and 101st all told, with 38:58 and becoming the East of Scotland 10K masters Champion and placing third among East of Scotland seniors.
1. Round The Houses 10k Grangemouth Stadium 17/04/22
Runners taking part in the Round the Houses 10k at Grangemouth on Sunday Photo: Photographer: Scott Louden
2. Round The Houses 10k Grangemouth Stadium 17/04/22
Four competitors taking part in the Round the Houses 10k at Grangemouth at the weekend Photo: Photographer: Scott Louden
3. Round The Houses 10k Grangemouth Stadium 17/04/22
Two runners heading round the houses at Grangemouth on Sunday Photo: Photographer: Scott Louden
4. Round The Houses 10k Grangemouth Stadium 17/04/22
Edinburgh University's Emma Gill taking part in the Round the Houses race at Grangemouth Photo: Photographer: Scott Louden