SPA Striders were represented by a women’s contingent in the third race of their Division One campaign in the Midland Women’s Cross Country League.
Led by Mairi Walker, the first Strider to cross the line of the 4.2-mile course, the women’s team placed 12th overall at Park Hall Country Park.
A masters team, formed by Mel Venables, Claire Davidson and Laura Peake, also competed, finishing third.
Meanwhile over at Coombe Country Park, the club’s male runners were involved in the third race of their Birmingham & District Cross County League season in Division Two.
Two teams represented Spa, with the A team of Ian Allen, Chris McKeown, Steve Taylor, Pete Soley, Simon Ludford and Tim Beresford finishing sixth, while the B team ranked third.
Adam Notley, Chris Liddle, Keith Wilson, John-Paul Hunt, Gethyn Friswell and Luke Bennett turned out for the Seconds, outshining their club counterparts in the 5.4-mile run.
At the Draycote 10k, Chris Wilson started his year with a flourish by leading home the team of seven Striders with his time of 41 minutes and 21 seconds.
Paul Conway (47.06) followed in behind, while Lucy Burnett (53:00) and Gary Perkins (55.51) also finished under the hour mark.
Fraser Whyte (1:00:08), Mary O’Malley (1:00:51) and Ben Milton (1:00:52) then completed the line-up.
A remarkable feat was achieved by Andrew Stone, who battled the elements to complete the Country to Capital Ultra race.
Starting in Wendover at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, Stone took on 43 miles of incline and mud to reach the finish line in London in seven hours and 40 minutes.
Vicky Howat was at the centre of a similarly impressive achievement, albeit across the Atlantic Ocean and in the humidity of Florida.
Howat ran a marathon around the four main parks of the Disney World Resort in Orlando, finishing in 6:33:19 despite suffering a knee injury and having to set off at 5am local time.
