Dursley Running Club

THE inaugural Staverton 10-mile race on Sunday saw another large turnout from Dursley Running Club, with quite a few pitting themselves against the distance for the first time.

Jon Tudor described it as a “very fast open course with some minor climbs and a charge along a farmland track complete with tunnels and cattle grid”.

The team of 10 were led home by Tudor in the respectable time of 93 minutes, Dave Halford crossed the line just under a minute and a half later, Dave Saunders was third in for the club and second MV60.

Alice Lewis was next in for the team, first Dursley woman and second in her category.

She was beaten for the second time in a week by Alison Lane, of Bourton Road Runners, suggesting that Lewis may have her work cut out to win her category in this year’s series.

Behind her a number of athletes relatively new to running tested themselves over the 10-mile distances, they included Darren Richards, Mark Western Gare Tudor and Damian Lai, the latter three graduates of Durlsey’s 2014 and 2015 Walk2 Run programmes.

Lai, accompanied by Annette Heylings, smashed his 10-mile time set at Oldbury last year running 12 minutes 40 seconds faster, Heylings was 11th in the lady veteran 55 category an impressive result given she has been in the next category up for a couple of years!

Graham Tudor and Jan Short also has good runs placing sixth and fifth in their respective categories.

Results. Jonathan Tudor, 66th , 01:12:17; Dave Halford, 70th, 01:13:43, David Saunders, 72nd , 01:14:37, (2nd MV60); Alice Lewis, 93rd, 01:19:55, (2nd LV55); Darren Richards, 105th, 01:21:52, MV40/26 Graham Tudor, 111th, 01:22:33, (06th MV60); Jan Short, 129th, 01:26:39, (06th LV55) Mark Western, 135th, 01:27:30; Damian Lai, 157th, 01:38:30; Anette Heylings, 158th 01:38:44, (11th LV55) l Jo Ball was the fastest Dursley parkrunner of the weekend coming 12th overall and first SM18-19 at Kingsway in a time of 22:53mins.

Chris Rhymer posted the sole personal best at Chipping Sodbury, yet again Dursley runners were high up in the category placings, John Delafield and Mike Haman both second and Sarah Bradbury third.

Results Gloucester Kingsway: Joe Ball, 14th , 22:53 (1st , SM18-19); , Russell Rolls, 32nd, 24:50 (6th VM40-44); John Delafield, 35th , 25:27 (2nd VM50-54); Mike Hanman, 72nd , 28:11 (2nd VM60-64); , Lisa Gillooly, 131st, 35:02 (8th VW40-44); Charlotte Palmer, 154th, 51:26 ( 9th VW40-44); Brueton parkrun Birmingham: Sarah Bradbury, 150th, 26:48:00, (3rd SW30). Chipping Sodbury: Kris Rhymer, 72nd, 24:11:00, (9th VM 35) PB, Dursley Running Club is based at Dursley Rugby Club and athletes run from there on Tuesday nights, with a wide range of groups to cater for all paces with other runs organised in the week.