MORE than 100 runners and one dog took on the challenge of a Wye Valley off-road trail with a testing 600ft hill climb.

While thousands were pounding the streets of the UK capital in the London Marathon on Sunday (April 28), the ninth Whitebrook Wind-up presented a different challenge along the banks of the River Wye and up through woodland decked in bluebells.

Categorised as a fell run because of the challenging ascent over nearly two miles, runners from the Forest of Dean Athletic Club, Chepstow Harriers, MonRoss Trailblazers, Spirit of Monmouth Running Club and Monmouth Tri Club were among the 84 racing one lap over 10km and the 18 going the extra mile or two doing two laps over the half-marathon distance.

The couse headed out from Whitebrook Village Hall along the Wye to Redbrook, before turning back along the old railway line to a tough climb through Lower Hael Wood, down to New Mills and back along the brook to the start.

MonRoss runner Luke Gray finished second overall and first senior man in the 10k race in 43mins 02secs, just over a minute behind overall winner and fastest over-40 man Robert John of Torfaen’s Micky Morris Racing Team (41.58).

In a hugley impressive performance, Chepstow Harriers’ Georgina Parnell was third overall and fastest woman in 47.49, with FoDAC’s Richard Pegler taking second out of 16 in the men’s over-40 class in sixth overall in 48.54 and Spirit of Monmouth’s Brian Evans third in ninth overall in 50 minutes dead.

Just behind him were FoDAC duo Robert Freeman (50.14) and Richard Powles (50.19), while Monmouth Tri Club’s Renske Bouwens was fastest over-40 woman in 54.10.

FoDAC’s Brian Francis placed second out of 13 in the men’s over-50 class 23 secs back and clubmate Brian Griffin was second in the over-60s in 55.03.

FoDAC runner Nicola Kear also raced well to take third out of 12 in the women’s over-40 class in 59.12.

Lliswerry’s Kevin Russell and his dog were the only cani-cross entry, finishing in a highly respectable 52.37.

Fastest half marathon time was men’s over-50 runner Chris Sparks in 1.40.29, with Katarina Adams fastest woman in 1.48.41.

Spirit of Monmouth’s Jeremy Creasey took a hard-earned second in the men’s over-50s class in 2.01.58.

The event was organised by the Whitebrook Village Hall Committee and was sponsored by Tintern’s Village Websmith.