THERE is something exhilarating about running in the dark. Even with a good head torch, sight is restricted but the body responds by turning to the other senses to build a picture of the immediate environment.

Race organisers have realised this, and more and more night-races are appearing on the calendar.

Locally, Chepstow-based Rogue Runs have been providing night races for a few years, and the first in their winter series was held at Mallard's Pike near Parkend in the Forest of Dean on Thursday.

Thornbury Running Club's Ros Rowland has been with the night-runners from the start and is always keen to drag other members with her across the Bridge.

In Thursday's 8.2km race, Rowland ran well to finish 76th overall in 49.36minutes, ninth lady and second in the LV50 category.

Mike Bennewitz had his first outing, enjoying the run though he was taken by surprise by the knee-deep stream crossing.

In a time of one hour 4.57minutes he was 177th and seventh in the MV60 age group. Both are now looking-forward to the next event which will be from Chepstow Racecourse on 19 January although there is also a five-mile night race planned for Wednesday December 7, running across the Severn Bridge in both directions.

The Castle Combe Race Circuit was the venue for a variety of races on Sunday. In the 10k run Liam Jones was 159th of 581 finishers, in a time of 48minutes. Alison Dyson ran three well-paced laps to finish 251st in 51.19minutes and Cathy Watkins came oh-so-close to the 60-minute mark, 431st in one hour and 28 seconds.

Arthur Renshaw took part in the duathlon event, though recently both injury and viral infections have prevented any quality training. He still did well, finishing 6th in the SupVet60 category in a total time of one hour 05.58minutes. He was strong in the bike element, and. unlike previous years, wasted no time in transition between run and bike.

Thornbury's 5km parkrunners were thinly-spread throughout the region on Saturday. Moray Sloan tried the four-lap Stonehouse course for the first time, finishing 5th in 20.43minutes.

Also at Stonehouse, Tom Usherwood ran son Richard to another new Personal Best of 25.51minutes. Paul Thomas ran at Gloucester Kingsway and was also a 5th-place finisher in 20.14minutes.

Kevin Arnold improved slightly to cross the line in 21.19 at Chipping Sodbury and Judy Mills chose the grassy, muddy and icy Wotton under Edge course, finishing in a time of 27.10minutes.

The Riverbank Rollick, Thornbury Running Club's open, offroad and hopefully muddy race will be on Sunday January 15.

For the past few years there have been no on-the-day entries, so to be sure of a place, visit the Club website at thornburyrunningclub.co.uk for details of