A RAFT of Dursley Running Club athletes took on the Fission 20/20.

For Ben Amigoni, Fran Amigoni , Louise Biddell, Janet Matthews, Emma Keating and Dominique Pemberton this was their first 20 mile run and longest run to date, mentally and physically an important milestone.

Jon Tudor and Mouse Clutterbuck ran in support of Fran Amigoni and Jadie Cotterell. Tony Freer cruised through the 20 miles really comfortably. Matthews and Biddell also made the twenty look easy and finished strongly. Keating and Pemberton were very pleased with their efforts. The stand out run for the 20 miler was Martin Bragg. who planned and executed his run perfectly picking up his pace from half way and another finishing strongly. Unsurprisingly, he was first in his age category.

Meanwhile, Margaret Johnson also ran a disciplined race.

Kris Rymer led the 20K team home with a good 93 minute run, Pete Allen managing to keep ahead of Clare Troy, with Annette Heylings placing 3rd in F60 category.

Results: 20mile: Martin Bragg 67th (1st M60) 02:35:43; Ben Amigoni, 78th (25th SenM) 02:37:33; Tony Freer 102nd (10th M50) 02:43:41; Margaret Johnson 130th (5th F50) 02:47:10; Jonathan Tudor 140th (34th SenM) 02:49:24; Francesca Amigoni 141st (19th SenF) 02:49:25; Mouse Clutterbuck 146th (9th M55) 02:49:53; Jadie Cotterell 147th (21st SenF) 02:49:54; Andrew Hara 180th (42nd SenM) 02:56:58; Louise Biddell 336th (58th SenF); 03:27:27; Janet Matthews 337th (25th F40) 03:27:27; Emma Keating 392nd (37thF45) 03:48:58; Dominique Pemberton 393rd (75th SenF) 03:43:58. 20km: Kris Rymer 14th (7th M40) 01:33:04; Peter Allen 61st (6th SenM) 01:56:27; Clare Troy 74th (14th F40) 02:00:33; Annette Heylings 96th (3rd F60) 02:18:06 3rd F60.

The second 20 miler of the weekend saw four DRC athletes out at the Gloucester 20, for Dave Saunders, Damo Lai and Andy Kilby a training race, for Dave Durden a counting race in the Glos. AAA Road Series.

The runners were treated to a cold but sunny twenty miles. The wind was still there but it blew the athletes up the long drag to Haresfield and up the two hills, there were still some sections of head wind. Durden and Lai both ditched pre-race target paces. Lai pushed on moving to an 8:30 schedule from his planned 8:45 and he executed well, running a 10 minute PB, at 8:29 to finish in 2:48:45.

Durden managed to hold on after a fast start, struggling up the last two hills he pushed on to record a 9 minute PB placing 7th M55 in a time of 02:27:59, Kilby continues his strong run of form was third home and 6th V60 with Dave Saunders cream of the DRC category crop, 4th M70+.

Results: David Durden 101st (7th M50) 02:27:59; Any Kilby 202nd (6th M60) 02:46:47; Damian Lai 219th (31st M40) 02:48:45; David Saunders 362nd (4th V70) 03:13:54.

Four DRC athletes were on the start line of the Reading Half. Paul Hocking returned to competition after an injury layoff and left it all on the road with a 77 minute effort. Behind him Mark Sprigings’ attention to detail in his training paid of with a big 4 minute personal best of 01:25:36.

Mike Brown and Neil Hodson also found going tough and were some way off their bests as a result of injury. Results: Paul Hocking 01:17: 50: Mark Sprigings 1:25:36, Mike Brown 1:26:52, Neil Hodgson 1:32:16.

The other big half of the week end was at Bath. Neil Parry, Andrew Eades, Lynne Murray, Caz Harper Easthope and Leigh Allen were on the start line for the two lap course. Parry was using it as part of his marathon preparation whilst Eades has been struggling with a niggly knee condition, but despite this he felt strong throughout the race and was able to get within 32 seconds of his personal best.

Parry led the DRC team home in strong 90 minute run. Just behind Andrew were Lynn Murray, with Caz Harper-Easthope and Leigh Allen running buddies raising money for the British Heart Foundation. Easthope achieved a PB Race hat-trick, 3 races, 3 PB’s so far this year, finishing in 02:15:1, a 13mins PB. Results: Neil Parry 01:31:18, 591st (40th M50), Andrew Eades, 01:59:02, 4225th (3282nd SenM); Lynne Murray 02:02:27, 5521st (86th F50); Caroline Easthope, 02:12:50, 8084th (315th F45); Leigh Allen, 02:19:45, 8945th (390th F40). Two DRC-Triathletes travelled to Ebbw Vale to compete in the Try out Try event, a beginner triathlon consisting of a 250m swim, 5km bike ride and 2.5km run. Leigh Allen took and new DRC Tri member Louise Saum to the event and she took to Tri like a duck to water placing first woman in 8th place overall in a time of 31:41. Leigh’s time of 44 minutes is provisional.

Twenty-seven DRC park runners ran Saturday. Richard Pitts was the fastest DRC parkrunner of this weekend in 21:52. Whilst down in New Zealand, Alice Lewis ran the fastest DRC female park run with a 23:46 and topped the Age Gradings with 81.65%, and John Rogers ran his first ever parkrun. Nicola Christopher ran the sole DRC parkrun PB of the weekend with 26:18 at Wotton