IT was another week of endeavour for Dursley Running Club. Last Saturday saw members gathering at Wotton parkrun to remember Aby Cairns who had passed away earlier in the week.

Whilst all the athletes’ endeavours had been put in to perspective by this event, one key message Aby has given in preceding months was you have one life and you need to live it.

So it was great to see many fine performances over the week. At parkrun, five DRC athletes achieved over 70 per cent age grading headed by James Everett, also with the quickest time of 17:58mins with Annette Heylings just behind him on age grade at Wotton, Nigel Sankey over 70 per cent for first time with his fastest parkrun to date, Matt Rogers, Neil Hodgson and Garry Strickland also over 70 per cent.

Personal bests went to Ellen Efford, Dave Symonds, Jackie Pennington, Julie Gowing and Terry Cother, the latter running in memory of Aby Cairns.

At the Maverick X Series on Exmoor, James Price ran the short 15km course with 2,500ft of elevation finishing third with a time one hour 25:48mins, Price started fast, taking the lead, but as they reached the first climb.

He said: “I lost a lot of my advantage as I wasn't prepared for how tough it would be”.

He managed to pick up the pace once back on the flat but rolled his ankle just before mile four, he then took a “heavy fall” on a descent.

With a bleeding leg and sore ankle, he was caught by the chasing runner, who rather than leaving him behind, encouraged and nursed him to the finish.

Price described it as “the toughest race I have ever done".

At the “Offa’s Dyke 15”, three Dursley RC athletes faced up to another tough off-road event. With Andrew Truswell leading the trio home. Kevin Brockway putting in a big effort to get to the finish after cramping severely.

Results: Andrew Truswell, 22, (9th M35), 02:07:29; Annie Harris, 159, (20th F35), 02:50:58; Kevin Brockway , 174, (45th M45), 02:57:37

Four DRC athletes were on the start line of Humph’s Hilly Half at 6pm on Saturday evening.

After a cloudy day, the sun came out for the race, but it was not as hot as it has been in the past.

A challenging course sees a sustained climb from a quarter of a mile to mile two and then a three mile climb from mile seven.

Mike Brown led the DRC team, smashing his course best, finishing in just over 89 minutes, 12th overall and second senior male.

Dave Durden ran a course best, Dave Saunders had another solid run, and placed second in category with Steve Barnes happy to have knocked off 18mins 49 secs off last year’s time. Results: Mike Brown, 12th (2nd SenM), 01:29:02; David Durden, 21st,(4th M50) 01:33:12; David Saunders, 81st, (2nd M65), 01:57:10; Steve Barnes,105th, (11th M60) 02:13:18.

The Cheltenham Challenge Half Marathon saw four DRC athletes on the line, Audrey Harris, Julie Froggatt and husband and wife team of Jim and Suzanne Moss.

At the 10k mark, another trio of Dursley RC athletes raced. Both courses were over challenging terrain with plenty of hills and rough ground.

Audrey Harris was first DRC to finish in the half with Andrew Eades first DRC to finish the 10K.

Results 10K: Andrew Eades, 134th, 62nd SenM), 55:16; Clare Troy , 262nd, (30th F40), 01:01:56; Lisa Young, 557th , (92nd F40), 01:18:29; Half Marathon: Audrey Harris , 127th , (8th V40), 02:10:40; James Moss, 132nd, (3rd V60), 02:12:16; Julie Froggatt, 253rd, (11th V50), 02:34:56; Suzanne Moss, 321st , (37th V40), 03:13:59;

Earlier in the week the Cirencester Summer Sizzler 10K had taken place on a cool and blustery Wednesday evening.

Steve Barnes was first home out of six DRC athletes with an event PB of over five minutes and a second best 10K time ever.

First Dursley woman home was Sally Williams, cracking sixty minutes for the first time, with 58:23mins, and there was then a flurry of DRC runners.

Results: Steve Barnes, 216th , (10th M60), 54:21; Ricki Cowle241st , (67th SenM), 55:36; Sally Williams , 281st , (30th F45), 58:23; Emma Keating , 285th , (31st F45), 59:03; Dominique Pemberton 59:08, 290th (31st SenW)Peter Brown , 289th , (4th M70+), 59:11,

Tuesday night had seen some great racing in the DRC Club Handicap, ran over one lap of the Berkley 10K course.

Nearly all the athletes at their limit as they headed for the final roundabout.

There was a clear victory for Kerry Clark, looking comfortable in her run in, with Steve Peers fourth overall and first man home.

The Walk2Run programme 2018 was represented by Jo Lewis and Ellen Efford in the top ten, both looking relaxed as they finished.

It was very tight in terms of fastest woman Margaret Johnson just four seconds ahead of Zoe Lammerton with Kim Bird a further 36 seconds back.

Matt Rogers was the fastest male, timed at 21:34mins, Nigel Sankey, was in 22mins with Mike Brown just behind 22:04mins.