AFTER great success in the Ironman UK championships in July, Thornbury's Roger Denton travelled to Kona in Hawaii having qualified to take part in the World Championships where the competition and the weather were both somewhat hotter.

Denton described it as an 'interesting' race in 30' heat and 70% humidity with head winds to further test the athletes. Conditions meant his times were well down on those he produced in the UK, but producing a three hour 48minute marathon after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 bike ride with painful feet was an achievement in itself, and his overall time of eleven hours 34.06minutes saw him 107th of 203 competitors in the male 50-54 age group.

The half marathon season continues, with Hugh McPherson choosing the Oxford event as a small (but very different!) tester for the Beachy Head marathon which several members will complete at the end of the month. Over a flat course, he finished in one hour 52.02minutes.

The parkrunners were spread across southern England and Wales with just Malcolm Carr (25.47minutes and 5 seconds away from his course best) and Garry Slater (19.02minutes, which was by 9 seconds a course PB) at Chipping Sodbury. Kevin Arnold's travels had taken him to Luton where his first running of the 5k course took him 22.39minutes.

Paul Thomas at Kingsway, Gloucester was pleased with 19.50minutes, his first under 20 minutes for some time; Tom Usherwood ran with son Richard at Stonehouse in 26.54minutes, another Personal Best for the youngster, and Anne Palmer was the sole lady representing the Club, running 32.21minutes, a new course Best at Newport.