Dursley Running Club round-up

THERE was a great turn out at the Second Waterland Aquathlon of the year with six Dursley Running Club athletes racing last weekend.

Fred Yearsley and Ray and Mel Williams all achieving personal bests on the swim.

Carolyn Thraves completed her first ever aquathlon and Richard Pitts achieved an overall PB.

It may have been the shock of seeing Ray Williams out on the run before him that spurred Pitts on, running a great time.

Andy Kilby knocked over two minutes off his last race time, and Avril Yearsley put in a great run to go withYearley’s fast swim.

Laura Price completed the Triferris Cotswold Women Only Triathlon on June 5.

Taking part in the sprint event, strong swimmer Price surprisingly placed highest in her category on the run with second quickest time, with a fifth and sixth in the swim and bike, placing fifth in her category at the finish and 39th overall out of a field of 115.

Sunday saw extremely warm conditions for the Fairford 10K, another race in the Gloucestershire AAAs series.

Dave Saunders and Alice Lewis did well placing second in their age categories with Jon Tudor leading the club home in a decent in the conditions of 42:40mins.

The weather conditions clearly took their toll with Lewis running well over a minute slower than her 2015 time l Dave Saunders was at the Needles XC Half Marathon on Sunday May 29. He commented that it was 'the toughest 13.1 miles I have ever completed in very hot conditions, but worth it just for the wonderful scenery.'

A record 350 competitors took part and all went across the finishing line. Saunders was 114th and eighth MV60.

Dursley RC athletes were also to be found at five park runs last weekend.

Cool weather helped a number to achieve PBs at Kingsway where Thomas Smith led the club home with Dursley’s fastest parkrun of the weekend, just two seconds ahead of Joe Ball, both first in their categories.

Other category winners were Jacky Gilmour, a first timer, and Eileen Hieron both with impressive age grade percentages, Eileen scoring an incredible 81.78 per cent and Jacky 71.35 per cent.

Richard Pitts ran at Oprington and was first VM50 with an age grading of 72.34 per cent.

Running personal bests were Sam Martin, Ian Roberts, Eileen Hieron, Anya Wood Julie Furneaux and Russell Rolls at Chipping Sodbury.

Results: Kingsway; Thomas Smith, 14th, 20:03, (1st JM15-17); Joe Ball, 16th, 20:05, (1st SM18-19); Sam Martin, 61st, 24:03, (2nd VW35-39), PB; Giuseppe Lai, 84th , 25:38, SM30-34; th cat Paul Lewington, 86th , 25:41, (4th VM55-59); Jacky Gilmour, 89th , 25:43, (1st VW55-59); Shona Darley, 90th , 25:53, (4th VW40-44); Antony Ball, 93rd , 26:15, VM45-49, Julie Froggatt, 94th , 26:21, (2nd VW50-54); Ian Roberts, 103rd, 26:50, (8th VM40-44), PB; Mike Hanman, 106th, 27:09, (2nd VM60-64); Eileen Hieron, 123rd, 28:38, (1st VW70-74), PB; Anya Wood, 128th, 28:50, (6th VW40-44), PB; Nicki Cowle, 129th, 28:53, (7th VW40-44);Charlotte Palmer, 138th, 29:23 (8th VW40-44);Julie Furneaux, 141st, 29:35, (7th VW45-49), PB; Emma Richards, 179th, 32:42. Orpington: Richard Pitts, 9th, 20:33, (1st VM50-54),

Chipping Sodbury: Russell Rolls, 52nd, 22:37, (5th VM40-44), PB; Blandford: Pete Dunn, 47th, 23:52, (6th VM40-44). Evesham, Garry Strickland, 27th, 22:39, VM50-54,