CHARD Road Runners’ only event at the weekend saw James Musselwhite running in the 27th Blackmore Vale Half Marathon on Sunday.

The sun was shining but it was bitterly cold, with a lot of snow and ice around to challenge the runners.

This road half sees runners heading out of Bishops Caundle into the quite country lanes, with Musselwhite aiming for a personal best despite the often treacherous underfoot conditions.

Setting off from the school grounds and on the very first downhill bend, the runners were faced with a patch of ice that would have been better for skating than running.

Musselwhite picked off some early places as the pack backed up and put his goal well on track as he was then able to quickly settle into his own pace.

With the halfway marker being passed, he was on schedule, and with the hills coming towards the end, he found himself with a group of runners all with the same goal.

Head down, Musselwhite put in a fantastic last mile and, coming round the last corner before the finish line with legs burning, he crossed the line in 01h 46m 47s – a new personal best.