IT was a busy week for athletes from Dudley Kingswinford Running club with some stand out performances over some unorthodox distances across the country.

Andy Sprague travelled to the Lake District to take part in the 3 x 3000 ultra, a fell race over three Cumbrian peaks with summits topping 3000 feet, hence the name. The course covered 80k, 50 miles, of undulating terrain over Scafell Pile, Helvellyn and Skiddaw with a total ascent of 4000 metres.

Despite the difficulty Sprague came home in a very respectable 19th place in 13.08.18.

A little closer to home Samantha Hemming was also dipping her toe into the ultra waters by taking part in the JW Ultra, a 30 miler between Stratford upon Avon and Bournville finishing in 6.31.39. And over a much more sensible distance Dave Hickman finished the Stafford 10k in 45.13 to take 158th place.

Meanwhile the majority of the clubs racers were at Sutton Park to take part in the Midland Counties Road Relays rubbing shoulders against the best clubs in the area. The ladies fielded two teams of 4 runners each covering a distance of 4.33k and the men turned out almost three complete teams of six over their 5.88k legs.

The ladies A team of Helen Tromans who recorded a time of 17.26, Sarah Cox 21.58, Jane Campbell 22.19 and Charlotte Tonks 24.27 finished in a total time of 1.26.10 to finish 62nd whilst the B team of Sarah Krivosic 25.38, Vanessa Morrison 28.20, Leah Robbins 28.03 and Lisa Perkins 28.00 came home in 1.50.01 finishing in 83rd position. The men’s A team posted a best ever performance finishing in 47th place, the team of Dave Norman 21.53, Darran Bishop 22.51, Stuart Perkins 21.32, Simon Blizzard 23.11, Simon Hughes 22.57 and Matt Biggs 20.42 finishing in a total time of 2.13.06. The B team of Mark Homer 23.54, Richard Tonks 24.49, Pete Hood 24.08, Graham Wildgoose 25.13, Mark Judge 24.34 and John Andrews 28.20 came home in 2.30.58 to finish 79th and the C team, with some making their debut in an event of this nature, finished but were a man down so although it was a good experience for Andy Morrison 27.50, Rory Campbell27.41, Chris Wood 34.10, Pete Krivosic 29.35 and Andrew Perkins 36.27 they were not given a finishing position.