Runners headed for the Black Mountains to take on the 1900ft ascent Hatterall Hammer and Sledge fell runs.

In the Hammer – a three-mile, 1200ft ascent race up to the trig point and back down – MonRoss Trailblazer Gavin Jones placed seventh in 27.07, 1.22 ahead of club mate Dan Sandford who placed third in the men’s over-40 class.

Fellow Trailblazer Emily Harrison was sixth best woman in 38.15, who crossed with club mate Grant White, while Forest of Dean AC’s Jasmine Archer placed third over-60 woman in 48.52.

Mynydd Du’s Wyndham Turner showed the way home in 25.00 with Bristol & West’s Katrina Entwistle first woman in the 45-strong race in 26.15.

In the longer seven mile Sledge run up to the trig and along the ridge, Monross runner Andrew Stephens was sixth in 1.09.52.

Overall winner was Ludlow Runners’ Oliver Perratt in a blistering 51.27, with William Morris of Hereford Couriers second in 1.00.03, followed by Chepstow Harriers’ James Blore in third in 1.00.22.

Debbie Stenner of Abergavenny’s Mynydd Du was quickest woman in 1.12.19, while FoDAC’s Brian Griffin was fastest over-60 man in 1.26.38.

Saturday also finally saw the return of Ross-on-Wye 5k parkrun after a flood and ice-hit January, with Trailblazers’ Rob Nicholls coming home first in 19.10. Andrew Skailes was second in 20.18 followed by Neil Grinnell of Ledbury Harriers in 21.01.

Tony Davies of MonRoss came home fifth fastest in 22.35, with over-55 woman Benedetta Rossi the quickest woman in 23.56, with over-60 Rachel Wheeler of FoDAC second lady home in 24.54, 25 seconds ahead of over-70 man Andrew Wright.

Sixty five people turned out for the free weekly run or walk which starts at Ross Sportsground at 9am every Saturday.

To join in you just need to be registered with parkrun. More details at www.parkrun.org.uk/rossonwye/

Anyone wanting to take up runing can join a new ‘Couch to 5k’ course starting at Ross-on-Wye sports centre from Tuesday, March 7, with three sessions each week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.30pm and Saturdays at 8.45am, which will include parkrun (register at www.parkrun.org.uk/register/).

More information is available on at Ross-on-Wye parkrun’s Facebook page.