THE return of the Ross Riverbank Run saw 166 runners and 20 dogs stride out alongside the Wye over 10k and 5k courses in aid of the Acorns child and family charity, while many others enjoyed a 1k fun run.

MonRoss Trailblazer Luke Gray smashed it over the longer distance, racing home one minute and two seconds clear of Matt James of Hereford Couriers in 36mins 54secs, while fastest woman was Katerina Adams of Spirit of Monmouth in 42.10.

Over the 5km course, Will Chalk of Newport Harriers set the pace, crossing in 19.55, 1.35 ahead of Newent Runners’ Owen Fishpool, with Danielle Wilson of Forest of Dean AC setting the female benchmark in 22.39.

The 10k route headed upstream from Ross Rowing Club to Backney Bridge before heading right to Brampton Abbot, then back onto the route of the old rail line and back to the start.

The 5k route followed the 10k route upriver before a small loop and back to the start.

Trailblazer duo Gavin Jones and Matthew Hall came home seventh and eighth overall in 39.23 and 40.02 respectively, while Woolhope’s Eamonn Donovan placed 10th in 40.47.

MonRoss runner Grant White crossed in 43.24 to finish 17th, with club mate Josh Hamilton first male U20 home in 21st in 45.06.

Fastest over-35 man was Hereford Couriers’ Andrew Tyler in 39.03, while first over-40 man was club mate Jonathan Gledhill in 42.31.

Jeremy Jehan of Wye Valley Runners landed the over-50 men’s in 42.36, with Couriers’ Richie Richards quickest over-55 in 44.37 and club mate Guy Jenkins taking the over-60 category in 50.53.

Katerina Adams was also fastest over-40 woman, beating second woman Laurel Bray of Belgravia Harriers by nearly three minutes.

Catherine Finlay of Ross Runners took the women’s over-45 women’s class in 50.59, just ahead of MonRoss runner Lucia Demkova who took second in women’s over-40 in 51.27, 1.40 ahead of over-35 winner Katy Harper.

Fastest over-50 woman was Melinda Ruck of Forest of Dean AC in 53.41, with Couriers’ Sarah Askey taking the over-55 class in 48.55 and Nicola Hall of FoDAC the over-65 class in 59.02.

Couriers’ Jon Edwards was fastest over-40 man over 5k in 22.56, with Jeremy Trumper taking the over-55 class in 24.31, Paul Taylor the over-65 class in 26.49, Adrian Fishpool the over-45 in 27.16 and Run Forest Run’s Martin Heseltine the over-60 in 28.04.

Kathy Ratcliffe was second-fastest woman and fastest over-60 female in 28.44, just 20 seconds up on quickest over-40 woman Debbie Davies of Lonely Goat AC in 29.04.

Caz Brown won the over-35 class in 31.08, Kerry Postlethwaite the over-50 in 33.02 and Joanne Jackson the over-65 in 37.01.