Ian Macdougall

THE Saffron Striders were in action on Sunday with club members competing in two major regional races.

Five club members were among the 4,250 runners at the Great Eastern Half Marathon in Peterborough, with Ian MacDougall continuing a strong recent set of results with a blistering 1hr 19mins finish for 87th place.

Next home for the Striders over the 13.1 mile course was David Johnson in 1hr 33mins for 424th, while just a few minutes behind were Keith Savill (1hr 37mins for 574th place) and Stephane Toussenel (1hr 38mins for 606th).

Completing the day’s racing for the Striders was Nigel Rand who secured a finish well inside the top half and comfortably under two hours in 1hr 57mins for 1,833rd position.

Meanwhile, over at Ware in Hertfordshire a further five club members enjoyed some autumnal sunshine and a slightly shorter distance at the Ware 10.

The 10 mile race, organised by the Ware Joggers, proved to be a successful event for the Saffron Striders, with two of the five-strong team picking up medals.

Chris Dodge ran an incredible 1hr 1min to come in as the second male over 40 and fifth overall. Fiona Halls was the second female in 1hr 8mins, making her 26th overall in the field of 320 runners.

Neil Halls marked his competitive debut over the 10 mile distance with a commendable 1hr 27mins for 187th place, while Simon Chambers also did well, coming in 268th in 1hr 37mins.

• New members are always welcome at the Saffron Striders. Meet at the Lord Butler Leisure Centre at 8pm on Tuesdays for a group session. Visit saffronstriders.org.uk for more information about the club.

Ware 10 - 320 competitors

Chris Dodge (5th - 2nd male over 40) 1:01:26

Fiona Halls (26th - 2nd female) 1:09:39

Neil Halls (187th) 1:27:30

Simon Chambers (268th) 1:37:53

Great Eastern Half - 4250 competitors

Ian MacDougall (87th) 1:19:48

David Johnson (424th) 1:33:43

Keith Savill (574th) 1:37:14

Stephane Toussenel (606th) 1:38:08

Nigel Rand (1,833rd) 1:57:39