Darren and Maxine fly the Bourton flag at Guy Fawkes five-miler

ON Sunday, Tewkesbury AC hosted the ever-popular Guy Fawkes 5-mile road race, the final event in this year’s Gloucestershire AAA Road Race Series.

Bourton Roadrunners had its largest turn-out of the season with 21 members on the start-line, with this event also being the last race within the club’s own competition series, and Bourton boasting age-group winners, personal best times and two runners in their first ever race.

Bourton’s Darren Long had a great race, finishing first MV50 in a time of 30:10. He was followed by his partner, Maxine Emes, who was second LV40 in 35:46.

Other club members were Ian Tolfts 37:40 (PB), Barry O’leary 39:11 (PB).

It was neck-and-neck for the next two, with Tom Hill pipping Tony Goodwill in 41:40 and 41:54 respectively.

Liz Hulcup and Gill Carrick were together for most of the race, again another close finish, with Hulcup in her first race in a new age group, finishing in 43:41 and LV70/1 with Carrick hot on her heels in 43:44.

Linda Edwards, training for the La Rochelle marathon, was pleased with 45:49, while Allie Quinn and Louise Hamilton-smith pushed each other round in 47:31, a course PB and 47:33. These were followed by Noelle Morgan in 49:54, Gillian James 50:42, Pam Robb 50:47, Lynn Hudson pacing Samantha Mellor in her first race finished in 53:17 and 53:18, Jen Brew 55:20, Shirley Creed 56:34, Coral Feeney-hill 56:35, Jenny Evanson 61:15 and Polly Hammond, again in her first ever race, 73:59.

At the first round of the Gloucester AAA cross country season, at Cirencester, runners battled torrential rain and windy conditions.

Despite these challenges, Bourton’s 13-year-old Lucy Hillary in her first event in the Under-15 age group, had a fine run, making the tough 4.5k course look relatively straightforward and finishing a brilliant fifth in 21:17. Parkruns: Chipping Norton: Lorna Shawcross – 26:04 1st LV60, Rob Williams – 27:24; Cirencester: Linda Edwards – 29:19 1st LV55; Newport Riverfront, Wales: Jaq Underwood – 32:23; Wyre Forest: Susan Hunt (2nd claim) – 27:08 1st LV55.