James Brooks was the first Briton home in his age group in the World Duathlon Championships in Canada. Delighted to qualify in his first season with an excellent performance at the Cambridge Duathlon, the FVS TRI athlete was 14th in the 20-24 age group in

James Brooks was the first Briton home in his age group in the World Duathlon Championships in Canada.

Delighted to qualify in his first season with an excellent performance at the Cambridge Duathlon, the FVS TRI athlete was 14th in the 20-24 age group in a time of 2-20:29 for the tough 10k run/40k bike/5k run.

James leads the way in 2006 with a further four FVS TRI members qualifying for GB representation later in the year.

Ironmen Gavin May and Kevin Smart will build on their recent Ironman Austria performances and will be joined by Penny Wylie in the European Long Course Age Group Championships at Almere, Holland, this month.

Jackie Perry will be in the 45-49 age group at the World Olympic Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, in September.

Nearer home, top FVS TRI cyclist Michael Summers continued his 2006 campaign with a bunch finish in the 106k Redbridge Road Race.

North Herts Road Runner Astrid McKeown stormed to victory at July's prestigious Serpentine 5k race at London's Hyde Park with a time of 17:54 which equalled her best time for the distance.

In extremely hot conditions, McKeown won the ladies' race by more than a minute and finished in 18th position overall, just 10 places behind husband Steve who was able to knock a second off his personal best to finish with a time of 16:57.

A further seven Squirrels took part in the race with good runs from Duncan Hooker (19:56), Claire Messenger (21:36), Neil Ward (21:52), Paul Bowal (21:57), Colin Calcutt (22:58), Karen Dodsworth (24:30) and Lindsay Cook (27:11).

Steve McKeown was also a member of the team that were runners-up in the veterans' section of the Fairlands Valley 3k relays two days earlier.

McKeown ran the first leg in 9:54 backed up by Dane Ryan (10:35), Pete Sibbett (10:06), John Franklin (11:03) and Johnny Spinks (11:21) with the team finishing just 20 seconds behind Barnet and District.

Three members of the club made the short journey to the Luton 10K on Sunday.

There were fine runs on a warm morning from veterans John Franklin (39:26) and Norman Leslie (42:42) and a superb run by super veteran Billy Crone who finished in 50 minutes exactly.

For the second successive year, Marc Trussell took part in the notorious Tough Guy Challenge at Wolverhampton.

In a race that combines brutally hilly cross-country running, water filled ditches and an array of assault obstacles, he finished in a creditable 179th position out of almost 2,000 starters in a time of 2-22:31.