Dacorum & Tring Road Runners grab a fistful of firsts

Russell Morris won the Rock Solid 5km race, overcoming more than 50 obstacles over the muddy and challenging course in Milton Keynes to finish first out of 500 competitors.

Russell, who finished a close second in last year’s race, said that this year’s edition was “harder – there were more obstacles and it was really muddy. But I felt great, and I can’t believe I won it”.

The Road Runners also brought home the prize for first ladies’ team across the line at the Shardeloes 10km in Amersham.

Over a gruelling muddy and hilly course in the Chiltern hills, Sam and Becky Fawcett and Catherine Davies came home fourth, fifth and sixth overall respectively to take top spot in the ladies’ team event.

They were followed by Elizabeth Roberts, Sam Sullivan, Louisa Hopper, Allison Richardson, Manon Pagniez and Michelle Ashwell, with Rob Deane also running.

Jamie Marlow and his children Erin, five, and Lewis, two, ran in the one-mile family fun run, finishing in a speedy 10:34.

In other news, Kelly Du Buisson achieved a new PB of 41:37 over 10km at the Kew Gardens 10k – fast enough for first place in the 25-29 age group and sixth female overall.

The race was won by Jo Pavey, reigning European 10,000m champion, with Beth Potter – a member of Team Scotland at this summer’s Commonwealth Games – in second.

Chris Kitchener completed the Push it for the Peace obstacle run in Cassiobury Park in Watford, while Alex Bayliss ran the hilly Royston half marathon and finished 2.5 minutes faster than her previous outing at the Ashridge half earlier this year.

Over at the St Albans Parkrun, meanwhile, youngsters Thomas Ashton, 10, and Star Phillips, 11, smashed their PBs for the course, finishing in 22:00 and 28:51, respectively.