ANTHONY Ball found he was a week early to join Dursley Running Club's latest batch of Walk2Runners and club members around the testing Chipping Sodbury Park Run course last Saturday.

However, undeterred, Ball tried his hand at the 5K course and was joined by another Dursley runner, Annette Heylings.

Ball posted a time of 26.09mins for 90th place, which was a little way off his personal best set at Cheltenham and this may be explained by the presence of a reasonable drag that has be negotiated twice at Chipping Sodbury whereas Cheltenham saves the uphill for a short effort at the finish.

Just ten places back, Heylings had a good run and she was just a little of her course PB, finising second FV 60 in 26.46mins for one hundredth place overall. First place in the FV60 category went to Irene Copper of Hogweed Trotters, recording an impressive 25.48mins.

Another two Dursley RC entrants were at the Minchinhampton 10k that took place on Sunday. The popular race had a full entry of five hundred runners.

Dave Saunders and Chris Young from Dursley braved the cold and windy conditions at the start on the common.

The course is undulating and although there is a steep climb of 1.5 kms about two-thirds of the way round, it is still a reasonably quick course.

The runners, if they are in any condition to look, are treated to some lovely views and run past The Princess Royal's home at Gatcombe Park.

Dave Saunders posted a respectable time to finish in 65th position and second MV 60, with Chris Young finishing in under 53 minutes not far off his 51.09mins personal set at Berkeley this year.

He was happy with the result saying 'the course is a bit hillier than Berkeley' with the hills holding no fears for Young given his experience running around Dursley. Both runners results have set a good benchmark for the coming season.

l Three Dursley RC athletes were on the line of the Flying Monk, a ten-mile, all-terrain race held at Charlton Park, the home of the Earl of Suffolk.

The race starts with a lap around a field and then moves on to wooded trails including a section 'Boggy Bottom' before returning to fields and bridle ways with a comforting short down hill stretch of tarmac for the road runners.

Jonathon Tudor was returning to the race, having finished in 31st place with a time of one hour 31.49mins the last time the race was held in 2013.

Two years is a long time running and Tudor showed how much he progressed by moving up the placings to 21st and knocking 15 minutes of his time.

He was joined by father Graham, who started running with Dursley RC via the Walk2Run programme in January 2014 and is also making great progress. Tudor Senior ran well to place 11th MV50. Sandwiched between the two Tudors were Mouse Clutterbuck, who had a strong run to place second MV50.