SUNDAY was to be a day at the seaside for most of Thornbury Running Club’s members, as Axe Valley Runners hosted their ever-popular ‘Grizzly’ at Seaton.

The 19-plus mile course climbs and falls along the coast into Beer, then Branscombe, where runners are directed inland to struggle up and down ridiculous gradients, interspersed with streams, mud, and biggest and best the bog – a section of thigh-deep gloop where who-knows what lies beneath the surface, or in places even where the bottom is.

Ros Rowland, one week on from her Green Man Ultra, was curious to see if her legs had recovered.

Dave Beard, not having tackled the course before, was looking-forward to confirming that his recent coast path training had given him the strength to comfortably complete the course, while Judy Mills hoped to make her way round steadily.

There is a second option – the Cub Run, just ten miles and omitting all the inland fields and mud.

Jo and Mark Williams, both suffering from colds, decided to take this option, as did John Grimsey.

Dave Beard tackled the course at an even pace, finishing strongly in three hours 23.04minutes, while Rowland was delighted to improve upon her 2015 time, three hours 32.11mins.

For Mills, the race went wrong in the first hundred metres when a previous slight nagging pain became a full-blown injury.

Hoping it might go away, she continued, but it isn’t the sort of race to take on when running downhill is agony, and at the split she opted to turn back, finishing the Cub in one hour 49.45minutes, nowhere near last but well behind. Mark Williams (one hour 39.25mins), Jo Williams (one hour 39.26mins), and John Grimsey (one hour 47.09mins).

The Gloucester 20 is a good test for those with a spring marathon around the corner, and on Sunday, Rob Hopkins, Chris Foley and Hugh McPherson were the Thornbury representatives at the start line.

Hopkins’ time of two hours 24.53mins put him in 103rd place, while at three hours 12.10mins, Foley has a sub-four hour time at London almost in his sights though he may have benefited from McPherson (three hours 13.32mins) pushing him.

The final race in the Gwent cross country league was held at Penlan Leisure Centre, Brecon on Saturday, March 5.

Although only two ladies ran, less than a complete team, enough points had been gathered earlier in the season to keep them in the second division with Angela Bushell rejoicing in the grip afforded by her new spikes, 104th in 32.53mins, and Mills 130th in 35.31mins.

The men were able to field a complete team, but were unable to avoid relegation.

Hopkins was first Thornbury man home, 85th in 42.53mins. Dave Beard (146th, 47.20mins) ran a good race, but was lucky to stay in front of Mike Willis (147th, 47.21mins) only just behind Beard as they crossed the line.