DESPITE the arrival of Storm Freya, Chard Road Runners took part in two events at the weekend.

There were 14 CRRs present at the Combe St Nicholas 10k on Sunday – a club championship race, with precious points up for grabs.

Heading off to take to the lanes around Combe St Nicholas, Steve Barnes took up the challenge towards the front of the pack, with Daragh Poynter, Liam Whyte, Martin Holley, Rachel Collins and Stevie Potter all in hot pursuit.

The race rounded towards Combe Football Club, and then spread out with the second long uphill stretch, before settling down at the 5k marker.

As the race headed back in towards Combe, the weather only added to the challenge, but first across the line for CRRs (second overall) was Steve Barnes, in a time of 38m 37s.

He was followed by: Daragh Poynter (42m 51s, fifth); Liam Whyte (43m 50s, 6th); Martin Holley (45m 11s, 10th, first M50); Rachel Collins (46m 03s, 15th, second female); Stevie Potter (46m 31s, 17th, third female); Matt Baker (50m 30s, 28th); James Musselwhite (51m 04s, 29th); Lizzie Smith (59m 42s, 42nd, PB); Helen Baxter (1h 00m 11s, 44th, third F50); Claire Gibbs (1h 11m 35s, 59th); Vicky Whitworth (1h 14m 15s, 60th); Nicky Smith (1h 17m 33s, 61st); and Miranda Coleberd (1h 17m 35s, 62nd).

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Chard & Ilminster News:

ULTRA: Andrew Leeson at the Winter Green Man event.

ANDREW Leeson, meanwhile, took on the very challenging Winter Green Man Ultra 45-mile race, which is a full anti-clockwise loop of the Bristol Community Forest Path.

Starting and finishing at Ashton Park School, it takes in more than 3,000ft of elevation gain, and Leeson knew that pacing was going to be all-important.

It was not long into the race that the elevation gain was starting to tell on legs that have had very limited training, and as Leeson came into the first checkpoint he took on much-needed refreshment before the less undulation section along the River Chew.

He was into a good rhythm now, with his focus on the finish line.

With the last of the distractions that the motorway crossing provided, it was now inward-bound and the challenge of a very steep climb up over Kings Weston Hill, where Leeson adopted a run-walk to keep very tired legs going.

The joy of the long downhill to a final stretch along the River Avon enabled him to cross the finish line in an amazing 9h 45m.