FORTY-four Dursley Running Club Athletes celebrated the completion of the club’s 2016 Walk2Run programme at Chipping Sodbury on Saturday.

With 23 first timers being supported around the course by spectators and club runners.

Eleven managed to post a PB with Nigel Sankey first home with a new PB of 19:30, also running PBs at Chipping Sodbury were Kris Rymer, Margaret Johnson, Shona Darley, Jo Shean, Caroline Whitlock, Julie Froggatt, Damian Lai, Amanda Hensman, Louise Beck, Rebecca Halford, with Fran Amigoni and Mike Hanman both within a whisker of their best times; at Kingsway Paul Lewington and Nicki Squire improved their bests.

Nigel Hodgson running in his new home town of Andover posted the clubs fastest park run time of 19:12.

Nigel Sankey will be glad when he joins an Andover club! The club again registered a host of podium placings across the age categories.

Chipping Sodbury: Nigel Sankey, 4th, 19:30, (1st VM35-39), PB; Mark Brasier, 15th, 21:07, (2nd VM40-44), David Wood, 27th, 22:08, (3rd VM50-54); John Delafield, 35th, 22:45; Kris Rymer, 38th, 22:50,PB; Margaret Johnson, 39th, 22:52, (1st VW50-54), PB; Thomas Smith, 41st, 23:12, (2nd JM15-17);Shona Darley, 56th, 24:02, (2nd VW40-44), PB; Francesca Amigoni, 66th , 24:48; Rachael Barker, 89th , 26:06; Kevin Higgins, 98th, 26:21; Giuseppe Lai, 103th , 26:26; Richard Hensman, 112th , 26:51; Jo Shean, 116th, 27:05, PB; Sam Martin, 117th, 27:06; Caroline Whitlock, 119th, 27:07, PB; Julie Froggatt, 121st, 27:12, PB; Louise Biddell, 126th , 27:19, PB; Annette Heylings, 127th, 27:26; Jacky Gilmour, 137th , 27:47; Garry Strickland, 138th, 27:48; Damian Lai, 146th , 28:11, PB; Annette Keevil, 156th , 28:46; Michelle Ball, 165th , 29:07; Amanda Hensman, 171st , 29:34, PB; Charlotte Palmer, 205, 30:56; Louise Beck, 206th, 31:00, PB; Rebecca Halford, 209th, 31:18, PB; Antony Ball, 210th, 31:20; Sue Jones, 228th, 32:07; Susannah Gwilliam, 232nd, 32:41; Carolyn Thraves, 233rd, 32:42; Carole Bennett, 236th, 32:53; Neil Baldwin, 246th, 34:07; Jo Fearns, 247th, 34:07; Annette Swift, 250th, 34:14; Haydn Smith, 251st, 34:15; Karen Eadon, 259th, 35:00; Becky Court, 260th, 35:00; Kerrie Poole, 264th, 35:00; Tracey Goodwin, 269th, 35:00; Veronica Higgins, 273rd, 35:00; Nicola Evered, 274, 35:00; Luci Lai, 275th, 35:00,

Gloucester Kingsway: Paul Lewington, 43, 25:06, (1st VM55-59), PB; Mike Hanman, 61st, 26:50, (3rd VM60-64), Lucy Fairall, 68th, 27:42; Nicki Squire, 86th, 29:05, PB; Andover: Neil Hodgson, 6th, 19:12, (1st VM40-44).

Dursley athletes wee in action at the Manchester and Rome Marathons, Tewkesbury Aquathon, Chasing the Bore and competing in the Chedworth Roman Trail.

Tara Truman and Andy Kilby were in Manchester running 03:51:15 and 04:48:39 over the 26.1 miles, in Rome Dave Halford ran 04:25:59, impressive from all three but particularly Dave and Tara who have had some injury issues Manchester.

Results: Tara Truman 3414th (95th FV40) 03:51:15; Andy Kilby 7507th 04:48:39; Rome Halford 8903rd 04:25:59.

Richard Pitts led a team a three Dursley athletes home at the Tewkesbury Aquathon, with a brisk time of 27:43 his fastest of the season. It was very windy on the run and damp under foot in places. Chris Young and Lara Price were evenly matched, with only seven seconds between them.

Swim Run + T1 Total Richard Pitts 06:54 20:49 27:43 Chris Young 08:06 25:01 33:07 Laura Price 07:52 25:21 33:14.

* Rich Shirley, Gareth Bradbury and Julie Froggatt attempted to beat the bore, Shirley achieving this aim to place fifth in 55:28 with Bradbury around 2 minutes behind him. Julie Froggatt chased the wave over the 7.9 mile course to finish in 01:22:55.

At Chedworth, Dave Durden led his Dursley teammates, Alice Lewis and Deb Peake, around an extremely slimy and hilly course. Although advertised as ten miles the runners were fortunate to lose half a mile somewhere along the way. Lewis took the olive wreath of victory in the FV55 category with Durden having to make do with third MV50, Peake had a good run, thoroughly enjoying the event, to finish 10th FV35.

Results: David Durden, 34th , 1:14:00(3rd MV50); Alice Lewis, 109th , 01:25:42.8(1st FV55) Deb Peake, 136th ,1:29:28.8 (10th FV35).

At the Cheddar Gorge trail 10K Megan Hughes placed 76th (12th SenW) 01:03:57 Matt Sutton 157th 01:16.37.

Easter Monday had seen Dave Saunders taking part in the West Wight Three Hills eight mile multi-terrain race.

It was an undulating, hilly and very scenic course with approximately nine hundred feet of ascent and described as 'not one for the faint-hearted'. With gale force winds overnight (105 mph at the Needles).

it was touch and go whether the race took part at all and the Isle of Wight ferries were initially suspended in the morning, this meant Alice Lewis was unable to cross to the Island to race. Most of the would be competitors made it to the start line it was hard going but Saunders managed to finish in 57th place overall in a time of 1:07:39 and received a magnificent trophy for 1st MV60.

The Saturday before at the Reading Half marathon Margaret Johnson recorded a PB of 01:43:00 and an impressive 6th FV50, along with Janet Mathews well under two hours in 01:57:37. Ray Williams completed the Tri 122 on the 02nd of April consisting of a 2K swim, 52 mile bike ride and a 20K run, which he competed in 34:08, 03:17:51 and 01:42:15 respectively to record a total time of 05:34:15 placing 2nd MV55