MON-Ross Trailblazers continued to put their best foot forward over the festive period, with several of their 55 members taking part in races and park runs.

On Thursday (December 28), three members took part in the annual Hereford Christmas 10k, hosted by the Couriers, which saw 369 runners take on the undulating country lane course around the city.

Catherine Finlay was 154th and fourth fastest over-45 woman in 49.17, closely followed by Sophie Williams, who took third over-40 in 165th in 50.16, while Rosie Davies was 193th in 52.52, setting a new 10k PB.

Saturday saw the last park runs of 2023, and with Ross-on-Wye’s course underwater runners headed elsewhere for their 5ks.

At Monmouth’s Chippenham Fields, Gavin Jones was fourth in 18.55, Faye Johnson 9th in 21.18 and Mike Thurgood 32nd in 24.41, while at Mallards Pike Emma Davies placed 29th in 24.30, and Rosie Davies 43rd in 25.40.

Further afield, Catherine Finlay was 38th at Bryn Bach in 24.23, and Rachel Aitken 83rd in 26.23 at Penallta.

Runners were out again just two days later for the New Year’s Day park runs, with Richard Foster heading the Trailblazers team with third at Monmouth in 18.35.

Faye Johnson was 13th in 20.58, Sam Harness 34th in 24.19, Mike Thurgood 38th in 24.47, Rosie Davies 52nd in 26.20, Emma Davies 60th in 26.39 and Rebecca Foster 108th in 30.06.

At Forest of Dean, Catherine Finlay was 26th in 25.36, Sophie Williams 75th in 31.30 and Gavin Jones 76th in 31.31.

Rachel Aitken also passed a milestone at Lydney, running her 50th parkrun in 30.08.

Hours earlier on New Year’s Eve, James Morton also took part in the 65th running of the Nos Galan 5k Road Race at Mountain Ash, finishing in 19.17 to place 98th in the elite men’s race.