Just shy of 300 people enjoyed a still and sunny morning at the Stevenage Half Marathon.
Part-organised by Fairlands Valley Spartans and based out of Hampson Park, the race was held over a two-lap course that dropped down to the station before returning via the drag up Six Hills Way and through Fairlands Valley Park.
There were a total of 21 from the host club who ran the event, which also helped raise money for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, while dozens more volunteered to be marshals, lead bikers, at the water station or supervising baggage.
Spartan Andrew Patterson won the race in one hour 12 minutes 45 seconds, 51 seconds ahead of Stephen Buckle of St Albans Striders with FVS team-mate Adrian Busolini third in 1:15:46.
Becky Wright took the win in the women's race, clocking 1:28:43, while Rhia Bhotia of North Herts Road Runners was second (1:31:47) and Ashley Johnson of FVS third (1:32:49).
The race also doubled as the Herts Championship for the distance with 66 men and 27 women of the 279 total finishers qualifying for those prizes.
The county medals for the men saw Patterson win gold ahead of Busolini with Chris Baylis of Garden City Runners taking third.
Bhotia and Johnson were promoted to first and second in the women's event, Lucy Crocker of Stevenage Striders grabbing bronze with a time of 1:43:00.
Bhotia, one of five NHRR members taking part, said: "It was an unexpectedly hilly two-lap course, and we really felt those hills on the second lap.
"But it was so well organised by the most lovely people."
Garden City Runners took gold and bronze in the men's county team event but Spartans, consisting of Patterson, Busolini, Grant Ramsay (10th) and Nick Gill (12th) took silver.
The Welwyn-based GCRs also had two medals in the women's team event but it was FVS who took gold with their team of Johnson, Gabrielle O'Brien (fourth) and Paula Dunne (11th).
Further down the field, Martin Jacob and Linda George of FVS both managed PBs with 1:46:33 and 2:06:33 respectively.
Stevenage Striders also had a whole host of PBs among their 24-strong squad, including county bronze medallist Crocker.
Matthew Robinson (1:29:13), Ben Barker (1:33:23), Martin Scales (1:34:52), Chris Rowlands (1:38:51), Kevin Fisher (1:42:06), Clarence Phillips (2:01:21), Stacey Pallister (2:06:45) and Lina Tzompova (2:12:39) were the others.
Elsewhere Abdullah Athar set another club record in the Abingdon Marathon, finishing in 2:54:04, while Tony Randfield took on the challenging off-road Beachy Head Marathon.
The weather made life even tougher but he still set a new course PB of 5:26:59.
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