IT was the busiest week of the year for Dudley Kingswinford Running Club as they hosted their annual DK10k road race in memory of the late Dick Blackburn.

Now in its 28th year, the race has been going since the early 1980s with top local club athletes boasting a course record of under 30 minutes for the 6.2 mile distance.

The race starts on the Mile Flat, goes out towards Enville before turning along Mill Lane and Greensforge Lane before finishing back at DK Rugby Club.

It always attracts a huge entry and this year was no different as more than 700 lined up to make it one of the biggest mid-week races in the Midlands.

Although 39 DK athletes pulled on the blue hooped vest to compete, it was the club members behind the scenes who should take the greatest credit.

First back for the club and taking full advantage of the home crowd was Ben Foster who placed fifth overall in a new personal best of 34.58 and Lorna Hulme who clocked 43.30.

The men’s race was won by Martin Williams of Tipton Harriers in 33.22 ahead of Halesowen ACC’s Richard White in 33.49 and Stuart Hawkes of Amazing Feet in 34.42.

In the women’s race, Amy Sheppard of Cobra took first place in 41.17 from Tipton’s Penelope Barber in 42.00 and Hannah Ager in 42.26.

There was more success for DK’s Ben Foster on Sunday in the ultra-competitive Market Drayton 10k. He placed 10th in 34.47, shaving another few seconds of his best time for the distance.

Rob Sannwald was 59th in 38.32, Dave Norman finished in 39.13 for 76th place, Graham Wildgoose was 135th in 41.28 from Gary Bonner in 136th in 41.34 and Mark Homer in 139th in 41.38. Dave Hickman finished in 48.08 in 440th place from first DK woman home, Sarah Cox in 624th in 51.07. Alison Whitehouse was 751st in 53.20, Tracey Nicholls in 1158th in 59.28, John Gould in 1.03.41 in 1392nd and Phil Morris in 1.04.26 placing 1423rd of the near 1,800 runners taking part.