By Matt Johnstone

AFTER the success of last year’s away day to South Devon, a team of 24 Thornbury RC runners travelled down in a coach on Sunday for the ‘Bicton Blister’ and the shorter ‘Bicton Blister Light’, followed by celebratory pub lunch.

The Bicton Blister is a 10-mile off-road race on an undulating course through the pebbled heathlands of Bicton and Woodbury common and the shorter ‘Light’ is a 4.5-mile race. Rob Watkins was the fastest TRC runner on the day by some distance in the 10-mile race, finishing 32nd overall out of over 400 runners and 3rd MV45 in 1 hour 11:10 minutes.

Paul Thomas was next in 104th place 1 hour 22:24 mins, Joanne Emerson was first TRC woman and 124th overall in 1 hour 24:43 mins, Chris Foley 174th 1 hour 29:34 mins, Brian Godsman 175th 1 hour 29:35 mins, Kevin Cundy 207th 1 hour 33:18 mins, Hugh McPherson 247th 1 hour 37:41 mins and Angela Bushell 248th 1 hour 37:49 mins. Malcolm Carr was next in 295th and was closely pursued by the fast finishing Judy Mills in 298th 1 hour 45:01 mins, then Karen Carr 373rd 1 hour 56:52 mins, Rebecca Dunsford 379th 1 hour 57:49 mins, Arthur Renshaw 395th 2 hours 3:58 mins, John Grimsey 399th 2 hours 4:46 mins and finally John Watt in 2 hours 4:49 mins.

There was an experienced TRC team taking part in the Bicton Blister Light with 7 of the runners over the age of 65 and 3 over 70. Jerry Clothier led the team home in 36th place in 49:43 mins and was the first in the M70 age category. Janet Gaze was next in 57th and took top prize in the F65 age category in 53:31 mins. Richard Illingworth was next in 62nd in 54:24 mins, Peter Mainstone was 76th in 59:06 mins, Sylvia Fox 82nd 1 hour 00:27 mins, Johanna Stirrup 96th 1 hour 15:03 mins, Alan Gaze 97th 1 hour 15:39 mins, Valerie James 98th 1 hour 18:19 mins and Helen Renshaw 99th 1 hour 18:19 mins.

The longest standing TRC club record is the women’s 5k, set by Judy Nutting in 1986 with a time of 20:02 mins. Laura Orna made a significant step towards challenging Judy’s mark, knocking off over half a minute from her previous best with a time of 20:31 mins at Chipping Sodbury parkrun on Saturday. Kevin Wood ran 22:47 mins on the same course.

Hannah Kinloch-Haken is another who should threaten the 20 min barrier this season, Hannah was the first woman on the hilly Thornbury parkrun course in 21:36 mins, followed by Ian Shepherd in 24:49 mins and Peter Blenkiron 26:25 mins.

Other TRC parkrun results, included Andrew Darton in Didcot in 21:10 mins, and David and Anne Palmer in Swindon in times of 27:50 mins and 33:20 mins. Pamela Macleod ran 33:03 mins at Severn Bridge parkrun.

In this month’s Weston Prom Run there were two TRC entrants for this 5 mile midweek road race. Ian Shepherd improved on his time in the same race a month before, finishing 191st in 38:30 mins. John Grimsey was 332nd in 54:21 mins.