FOREST of Dean Athletics Club (FODAC) hasn’t let the weather or the dark winter nights get in the way of activities over the last few weeks, with the most recent outing being the winter’s first Rogue Run Night Race at Mallards Pike on Thursday (November 17).

Spokesperson Chris Moore said: “ We ran over five miles of hills, mud, roots and a pond.

There were warnings of the threat the boar posed, but the sight of 283 runners crashing through the woods with head torches must have proved too much for them: none were seen. 

“The winner was Paul Murrin of Chepstow Harriers in 35mins 42secs.  It was a good night for the club and Victoria Baker (Tori) was first woman in with a time of 41mins 59secs. Dan Sandford was first man from FODAC, and was fifth overall in 37mins 55secs. 

“The women’s team of Tori, Sherryl Hall (48mins 12secs) and Helen Lipscomb (51mins 25 secs) and the men’s of Dan, Richard Powles (42mins 22secs), Matt Bond (42mins 55secs) and Wayne Bevan (42mins 58secs) were both second.  Sherryl was also first Female Veteran 50.

“The second running of the Newent Nine on November 20 saw a good number of FODAC runners taking part.  First of these to finish was Richard Powles, who was fourteenth with a time of 40mins 05secs.  Mick Strange won the Male Veteran 60 category in 40mins 28secs. 

“The Sodbury Slog is held annually on Remembrance Sunday.  After a eulogy, a two minutes silence and a rendition of the Last Post, the runners walk to the start of a 10 mile multi-terrain race including features like ‘Soggy Bottom’, a 100m ditch full of mud, water and possibly manure, ‘the sheep dip’, a hole where water comes up to the waist, and the ‘pig trough’, another very narrow ditch which this year was just mud; it’s usually deep water.  Most of the rest of the race is over muddy fields with the odd road thrown in.

“This year, 1,100 runners were joined by a contingent of 21 from Forest of Dean AC. First FODAC man was Leyton Fleet, 33rd overall in 1hr 11mins 11secs, First FODAC woman was Helen Lipscomb in 1hr 28mins 26secs.”