KATE Browning produced the standout result of the weekend, as she took herself over to the Brecon Beacons for Round Four in the MCN 2017 series. Browning ran the Marathon that was closer to 27 miles.

After a gentle initial four miles the mountains kicked in with a two mile climb to Tor y Foel, from this point until mile 24 there was no let up on climbing, with a combination of sustained as well as short sharp climbs to contend with. Kate finished in 04:59:05 (provisional) placing first female veteran and 2nd woman overall.

Four Dursley athletes started the Lanzarote Running Challenge four race series that comprises of the following: a 10K Road Run, a 13K Ridge Run, a 5K Beach Race, finishing with a Half Marathon.

On the start line for the 10K on Sunday were Neil Parry, Mel Williams, Andy Kilby and Zoe Fowler.

Parry was first home for DRC in just under 45 minutes, Mel Williams achieved the highest category placing with a 5th (F55) position in 51:49 with Kilby just under two minutes behind, Fowler an impromptu racer finishing in 89th place in 59:14.

Dursley were adopting a tag team approach, Fowler and Mel Williams stepping out and Ray Williams joining the racing on the Monday for the 13K Ridge Run.

Parry and Williams ran together finishing in 01:12:24, 108th and 109th positions with Williams 9th M55 and Parry 15th M50. Kilby finishing in 151st place.

The DRC contingent thinned out to Parry and Kilby for the last two events.

The third race was a leg sapping 5k run over soft sand.

Parry had a strong run of 25:12 placing 85th (11th M50), with Kilby managing a sub 30 run (14th M60).

Parry’s run placed him 11th overall in the M50 category before the half marathon, a top 10 finished beckoned for the seasoned half-marathoner.

The fact that Parry did not run a low nineties half marathon is testament to how hard four days of consecutive racing is.

Just one second over 100 minutes he was 12th in his category pushing him back down the rankings, with Kilby home in 02:01:02.

Parry finished 12th in the M50 category, whilst Kilby’s total time was 04:48:37 placed him 14th M60.

Mark Sprigings and family were in action at the Oldown Santa Run. The event started with his son Harry running the 50ms and his daughter, Olivia, the 1KM event. Sprigings was then on the start line for the 5K.

Hopeful of a podium finish and possibly the win Sprigings set off briskly, only to fall as the race entered the woods.

The fall allowed his fellow competitor, a Mr S Claus, to head off into the distance as Sprigings reapplied himself to consolidate second place, but this was not to be, as a wrong turn set him back further.

He got back on track to find himself in fifth place with half a mile to go.

Sprigings pushed on and managed third place in 29:50. Charlie Taylor had a less eventful outing and came home in 26th place, 8th Senior Female, in 38:32.

Jo Ball cruised around Kingsway recording the fastest DRC parkrun time of the weekend.

With an excellent 74% age grading, Garry Strickland ran a course best, and topped the DRC AG charts.

Steve Barnes, Margaret Badger and Suzanne Penny all ran PBs on the same course. Shona Darley was first woman to finish at Kingsway, whilst at Wotton Gareth Bradbury was 1st overall.