WHILE baking at the weekend, it was a chiller days earlier in the second instalment of the Gwent Leisure Centre League at Blaenavon’s Big Pit, which saw runners take on a tough hilly five-mile route through the industrial landscape in freezing wet conditions.

First Spirit of Monmouth runner home was Tom Chinnick who came 27th and third in class in 30.44, with Ben Saunders hot on his heels in 30th and fourth in category in 31.07.

Matthew Visser was not far behind in 49th (32.15), with Katie Adams 76th and sixth fastest woman second in class (34.04).

Lee Davies was 96th (35.14) with Vicky Roberts 98th and first in class (35.22), followed by Martin Blakebrough 125th and second in class (36.58), Brian Evans 131st (37.22), Liberty Barlow 156th (38.40), Marina Wright 197th (41.18), Holly Jane-Thomas 211th (42.01), Louise Hartree 234th (43.55), Jeremy Creasey 248th (44.45), Helen Shepherd 254th (45.23), Chris Baber 256th (45.31), Alison McMenemy 325th and first in class (53.35), Stephen McMenemy 326th (53.36), Laura McLoughlin 330th (53.49), Maixent Gaillard 331st (54.25) and Fay Visser 332nd (54.31).

The men's team came ninth and the women sixth.

The same Tuesday evening saw the second four-mile stage of the Llanfrynach 3-4-5 series at Pencelli in the Brecon Beacons, Nick Sloper knocking two minutes off his course PB with 30.13 placing 51st out of 164.

Thursday brought a complete transformation weather-wise, with Spirits warming to their task in the Fountain Inn 5, a club championship race hosted at Parkend by Forest of Dean AC on forest trails with hills, technical rooty sections, long drags up old tramways and fast tricky downhills.

Spirit’s top three reversed their GLCL orders with Matthew Visser fastest in 11th in 36.55, followed by Ben Saunders in 13th (37.11) and Tom Chinnick 14th (37.13), with Lee Davies 22nd (39.43 ).

Vicky Roberts was 23rd and second woman knocking five minutes off her course PB (40.01), followed by Sarah Heath 27th and third woman taking first in class (41.34) .

Martin Blakebrough was 30th and first in class (41.44), Liberty Barlow 38th (41.44), Renske Bouwens 39th and first in class (44.50), Brian Evans 44th (45.28), Nick Sloper 51st (47.28), Barry Burns 58th (48.26), Michael Visser 64th (49.27), Marina Wright 79th (52.15), Jeremy Creasey 88th (56.20), with the night wrapped up by Maixent Gaillard in 100th (64.08).

On a sweltering Sunday, Jeremy Creasey took on the Edinburgh Marathon Festival half starting under the shadow of Arthur's Seat, finishing in 1.51.48, nearly 38 minutes faster than his 2024 time.

Also on Sunday was the Crocodile 8 at Burghill hosted by Wye Valley Runners and not for the faint hearted, covering steep climbs, sharp descents and the eponymous strength-sapping crocodile steps.

As someone not too partial to a bit of warm weather, Cathy Fletcher found it a struggle coming home in 1.42.35, with the finish line like a war zone and shattered runners grateful for the sprinklers.

The third event on Sunday was the Dymock Half and 5-mile race, where Julie Gee took on the latter, coming home in 50.05, with Brian Evans 29th in the 13-miler in 1.49.26.