AHEAD of Valentine's weekend, Spirit of Monmouth runners Maixent Gaillard and Rebecca Edwards went on a bear hunt… a relay race around the woody hills, starting by the Bear Inn in Minehead.

With lots of bears to take selfies with and knee-deep mud, bogs and uphills, Maix and his team were distracted enough to lose out to Team Becca by 20 mins, who finished second behind the pro runners, winning a hamper.

On Sunday, Louise Hartree and Nick Sloper headed for the Caerphilly Trail 10k organised by Ridge Runners around Rudry.

With the torrential rain the hilly “proper trail” featured streams, puddles and lots of mud.

Staying upright was the main challenge which they both just about managed.

Nick came 47th in 1.08.54 knocking 12 minutes off his 2023 time, while Louise also really enjoyed the muddy conditions, finishing 106th in 1.24.12 after starting from the back after finishing her volunteering duties and slipping and sliding past some 100 slower runners.

Sunday also saw the Pontypool 10k Home Run on behalf of St Davids Hospice Care from Pontypool to Mamhilad and up a lung-busting hill to the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal for a scenic run back along the towpath.

Intrepid Spirits Sian Fielding and Julie Gee took on the cold and rain-soaked run, with the former finishing in 1.01.09 for 129th and the latter digging deep to cross in 1.09.38 for 320th.

The rain saw lots of parkruns called, but Monmouth’s Chippenham Fields saved the day with some great wood chip additions on the muddy sections thanks to Walford Timber.

Lee Davies secured a fantastic 20.39 PB in a run headed by Tim Buggy-Batch of Chepstow Harriers (18.08) and MonRoss Trailblazers Rob Nicholls (18.16).

Spirit’s Sarah Heath also enjoyed the mud at the Forest of Dean parkrun finishing first woman in 23.54.