ROS Rowland and Mike Bennewitl galloped across to Chepstow Race Course on Thursday evening to renew their interest in the Rouge Runs Night Race series.

Ros knocked almost a minute off her 2016 time, finishing in 51.00 mins and 2nd in the V50 category. Mike came storming down the straight to finish in 57.42 mins.

Sub-zero temperatures and beautiful sunshine greeted all the racers this weekend and there were many of Thornbury’s finest competing in parkrun events.

Paul Thomas is clearly benefitting from increased racing and finished in a solid time of 20.34 mins, followed by parkrun regular Kevin Arnold (21.43 mins).

Kevin has finished 99 parkrun events and will soon join a select group of Thornbury RC parkrun centurions. Judy Mills warmed up for a larger challenge on Sunday with a time of 27.30 mins in Wotton and Tom Usherwood finished 10th in Stonehouse (20.12 mins).

Matt Johnstone made a rare outing on the Pomphrey Hill course in 19.26 mins.

Further afield, Anne Palmer completed the Portobello Edinburgh course for the first time in 34.14 mins.

After its inaugural appearance on the local racing calendar last year, a team of 10 Thornbury runners tackled Sunday’s Doynton Hard Half Marathon.

The clue is definitely in the name of this challenging and notoriously muddy off-road event, judging by the reaction of those who competed last year.

Rob Watkins was nursing a sore leg after a training accident in the week but led our runners home in 33rd place in 1hr 48mins, followed by Rob Hopkins in 45th place (1hr 53mins).

Performance of the day went to Joanne Emmerson who finished in 3rd place in 35-44 age category and under the two hour mark (1 hr 59mins).

Judy Mills, Ros Rowland and Paul Thomas all finished in what was their second event of the week, both Ros and Judy finished fourth in their age category. Kevin Cundy, Hugh McPherson, Moray Sloan and John Grimsey will all be feeling the after effects of their exertions this week, too.