MORE than 250 runners took to the country roads of West Wiltshire on Sunday in the Avon Valley Runners’ second Wiltshire Half Marathon.

Last year’s winner Anupam Das, of Team Bath, was forced to settle for third place (1:14:39) as he had to play second fiddle to Samuel Humphrey and club teammate Robert Mann.

Humphrey, of Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC, and Mann (1:11:50) took an early lead and were neck and neck until the former clinched victory with a time of 1:11:22.

Peter Veleski was the first Avon Valley athlete over the line as he finished seventh in the senior male category (1:23:37) and 14th overall.

Lucy Richens, from Bristol-based Westbury Harriers, claimed the ladies’ title as she fought off the challenge of Avon Valley’s Vanessa Lucas and Diane Hier.

Richens held on to her early lead before crossing the line in 1:24:12, with Lucas (1:32:25) and Hier (1:32:39), from Upton Scudamore, finishing a whisker apart as they took second and third places.

Team Bath’s David Coales was victorious in the veterans over 40 category with a time of 1:15:09.5, with Frome Running Club’s Jim Plunkett-Cole (1:21:41) and Pete Clark (1:26:03), of Bitton Road Runners, second and third respectively.

Jonathan Bamber, of Great Western Runners, took the over 50s title (1:21:55), followed by William Daniels (1:25:50) and Robin Mark-Schols (1:26:59) whilst the over 60s group was won by Jonathan Bateman, with a time of 1:29:40.

Bitton Road Runner’s Terry Welch was second 1:40:28 whilst Avon Valley’s David Griffiths took third place in 1:41:21.

The men of Avon Valley were the fifth-fastest team of the day, with Team Bath taking the honours, whilst the ladies earned second place on the podium behind champions Bitton Road Runners.

Avon Valley Runners have linked up with Trowbridge RFC by moving their Trowbridge and Melksham training groups to the rugby club’s new Doric Park ground.

Trowbridge’s multi-million pound development opened its doors in September and Avon Valley chairman Andrew Hoddinott is looking forward to making use of the club’s newly-built facilities.

“This is a fantastic new step for the club and we hope to work closely with the rugby club for the benefit of all of us,” he said.

Trowbridge RFC finance and administration manager Chris Lamb added: “Everyone at Trowbridge RFC is looking forward to welcoming all Avon Valley Runners members on board.

“We see definite synergy between our two sports and this initiative represents the first step in establishing Doric Park as a base for a wide range of sporting activities and pastimes in our local community.”

Avon Valley’s Thursday evening and Sunday morning training sessions will still take place at Pound Lane in Bradford on Avon and the club are exploring the possibility of developing an all-weather floodlit training trail for both runners and rugby players at Doric Park.

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