DURSLEY Running Club prepared for the iconic Dursley Dozen on Sunday by taking part in the Maytree Massacre, writes David Durden.

Historically one of the key races of the winter season attracting many club cross-country athletes, the Maytree Massacre is now a weekend bonanza of muddy running.

The event now has races over the nine-mile distance on both Saturday and Sunday, with a 15-mile option on the Sunday.

Tony Wooldridge represented Dursley Running Club in the nine miles on the Saturday.

Wooldridge was running well in the sun and thinking how well marked the course was. Unfortunately, about three-quarters of the way around he was confronted with two arrows he picked the wrong one. Whilst he enjoyed a lovely route though a wood full of snowdrops he subsequently realised his error on re-joining the runners on the correct route. The leading lady and several others had followed Woodridge and none were pleased with the detour. Wooldridge was 38th at the finish in a time of 01:28:07.

DRC doubled their entry on the Sunday, both in the nine-miler, Kris Rymer and Alice Lewis.

The conditions remained good, Rymer was very pleased to finish 15th overall in one hour and twenty-one minutes. Lewis was 1st in the F50 category in 01.36 (provisional).

Vicki Thrift completed the Dubai 70.3 Ironman on Friday the first. Thrift had completed four Ironman 70.3 before Dubai but this was her first in the DRC blue, and she achieved a personal best of 06:18 in the club’s colours, which she was very pleased with.

DRC-Tri, held a brick session, training the athlete to go from riding a bike to running, on the Saturday in slightly cooler conditions; for their athletes aiming for the Westonbirt Tri in May. Coach Martin Bragg reported that it was a great session at The Pulse, icy conditions meant we had to abandon the road run and run laps of the Rec instead.

The snow mean that hardly any parkruns took place. Two DRC runners managed to find a parkrun on Saturday, Kris Rymer and Garry Strickland running with another 216 runners at Plock Court, both first-timers at the course. Rymer was fastest in a time of 23:16 with Strickland just 62 seconds behind ahead on age grading with a score of 63.79%

A good turnout of the Year 7 plus group who ran a 400m session. Coaches outnumbered juniors on Thursday for the 14-21 run with cold weather putting most off.

The snow arrived and Rednock Indoor session was called off as was KLB junior cross country, which was re-arranged for the 9th. So no racing or haring for DRC juniors. Ironically enough it was in the Forest of Dean that two DRC juniors managed a run. Liz Hill and Olivia Sprigings completed their first FOD junior parkrun.

Results: Liz Hill 14:51; Olivia Sprigings 14:52.

On Sunday, February 10 the 30th running of the Dursley Dozen takes place, an iconic off-road race that attracts 600 entries and is likely to see in the region of 500 competitors. Last year DRC’s Dan Anderson won the race and Robyn Wait was first woman to finish with the DRC men’s and women’s teams also victorious.