DURSLEY Running Club’s team were out at the Gordano Round Trail Marathon last Saturday.

The organisers describe the coastal path as “including some stretches of bare rock and some cliff edges close to the path and trail-fell shoes with a good tread are strongly recommended”.

It was Simon Jones’ first marathon and he was first DRC athlete home in 5:32hours, next was Richard Hensman in 6:04hours and then first time Trail Marathon runners Dave Halford and Damian Lai came in just under 6:30hours.

The enthusiastic Lai extolled the virtues of the event, commenting: “It was like running the Dursley Dozen twice over. Would recommend it.”

Over the slightly shorter distance of 5K there were a host of PBs and some excellent runs at Kingsway parkrun and elsewhere.

Tom Smith was first home at Kingsway running the fastest DRC time of the weekend in 19:03mins.

Nigel Sankey ran well to place second for DRC. Graeme Hawkins had another excellent run of 21:55mins, a PB with a magnificent 78.71 per cent age grading.

Nigel Burford scored 76.26 per cent at his first attempt at the Chipping Sodbury course and was 11th overall with a time of 20:09mins.

Anthony Ball deservedly achieved a PB having worked hard returning from injury, joining him with personal bests were Nicki Cowle, Sally Williams, Steve Rugman.

A number of runners went close including Louise Biddell, Julie Froggatt, Karen Eadon and Cara Zolglowek, with Julie Fenn and Garry Strickland mere seconds away from their best.

In the second Gwent League at Penland Fields Brecon, Kevin Jackson was 230th in a time of 44:50mins, an excellent run placing him 14th in the MV55 category. second claim.

DRC member Nick Langridge ran for Thornbury finishing in 46:19mins 264th place (8th MV60).

At Ashton Court, Racheal Barker finished the 10K in a good time of 53:02mins.

DRC had the best turn out for the Sodbury Slog for a number of years with soon-to-be a paid-up member Mark Sprigings coming as a late substitute finishing in 159th position in a respectable time of just over 84mins.

The Dursley team all thoroughly enjoyed the experience despite, or maybe because of the mud and the hills with four of the club finishing within two minutes of each other.

Results: Mark Sprigings , 159th , 01:24:42; Susan Peachey, 406th, 01:42:34; Julian Peachey, 407th, 01:42:33; Julie Froggatt, 644th, 02:03:09; Holly Price , 687th, 02:04:59; Julie Easthope, 684th, 02:04:59; Claire Searle, 714th, 02:05:44; Carolyn Thraves, 740th, 02:07:19; Karen Eadon, 1039th, 02:32:42.

At the Cirencester Off Road Duathlon, four intrepid DRC athletes competed in their first ever duathlon and an off- road event at that!

Taking to the muddy trails both on foot and by bike, they had an eye on a potential triathlon debut in April 2017.

Two one mile runs sandwiched a five mile off-road bike ride.

Anya Wood led the team home in 57:22mins and was 10th in her category, just a minute and a half behind her was Lisa Gillooly. Anya ran a stronger final leg.