Supernova Inland Championship Runners and (broomstick) Riders

Supernova Inland Championship Runners and (broomstick) Riders © Emily Osborne and a cauldron of bats

This Halloween weekend, prepare for an eerie gaggle of cobweb-strew ghouls and ancient monsters converging for their annual ritual, also known as the Supernova Inland Championship. But who will cast a spell over the others and be awarded the dread crown of Blithfield?

Let's see who among of the coven has their cauldron on the boil and who will be turned into a frog.

• Cliff 'Vampire' Milliner is the serial winner, sucking the life out of his competitors with his uncanny downwind speed, often seeming to appear out of nowhere at the leeward mark. Hard to see who has the garlic to depose him. Perhaps if we could find a priest to bless the water of the lake?

• Tom 'Werewolf' White turns into a beast on the sea, winning the Nationals this year. Can he achieve the necessary consistency, or will he prove more Shih Tzu inland? The full moon may have passed, but beware. Unchain him at your peril.

• Gav 'Jack O'Lantern' Young is always smiling, but don't let that fool you. He's won this thing before, but only once, his flame going out as quickly as it appeared. He did dominate the Scottish Champs this year though, so don't discount him. He also tried to fool us by briefly becoming a Phantom, but now he's back where he belongs.

• Mike 'The Mummy' Critchley is among the more ancient creatures venturing out, but what he lacks in agility he more than makes up for in wiliness and experience. He was seventh last year, eighth in the Nationals, third in the Scottish champs... he is relentless.

• Andy 'Loch Ness Monster' Macdonald is the new Class Chair, so he deserves a mention. Just like Nessie, he's from Scotland and is probably mythical, but also like Nessie, he doesn't really belong on this list as he won't win. But we love him anyway.

• Chris' Zombie' Webber has been reanimated in the Class, having recently bought a brand new boat. He was fourth at the Nationals this year and had some good results in his previous iteration, so he could become a force once again.

• Sean 'Headless Horseman' Ricketts has been known to shoot off in the wrong direction on occasion. And he prefers a good battle with the elements to the serenity of a calm day. But he has the speed if he can harness it. Perhaps we could call him a dark horse?

• Orlagh 'Ghost' Macdonald is gossamer light, seeming to hover above the surface of the water. An outsider, yes, but never under-estimate her. She may shock a few mortals if the wind refuses to blow.

• Ollie 'Frankenstein's Monster' Crocker is big, strong and very young. He emerged apparently fully formed from the alchemical Cotswold laboratory: a product of proud boffins who didn't realise that the very thing they were creating would destroy them. His power will only increase.

Can anyone else challenge the accepted order? It's a tough call, especially as some of the other established names couldn't make the new date, hastily rearranged after the wind harpies cast their summer spell. We'll see. Watch this space. But not too closely - you never know what might come crawling out.