North Herts Road Runner Astrid McKeown obliterated the club record for a female over 10 miles. McKeown (pictured left) completed Sunday s Welwyn Garden City 10 in a fantastic time of 62:32. She lowered the previous long-standing record by almost 90 second

North Herts Road Runner Astrid McKeown obliterated the club record for a female over 10 miles.

McKeown (pictured left) completed Sunday's Welwyn Garden City 10 in a fantastic time of 62:32.

She lowered the previous long-standing record by almost 90 seconds to finish as third lady in the race that doubled as the county championships for the distance.

Over a new course that featured many twists and turns, the Letchworth-based club fielded almost 30 runners.

The male quartet of Pete Sibbett (59:31), Richard Harbon (63:30), Adrian Sherwood (67:29) and Steve Taplin (68:04) were crowned county champions in the Vet 40 category.

The first runners home for the club in humid conditions were Steve McKeown (59:27), Sibbett and new member Nick Beresford (60.41).

There were gold, silver and bronze medals for Fairlands Valley Spartans at the county 10-mile championships.

Jim Brown became a county champ when he was one of 21 Spartans who took part in Sunday's Garden City 10 road race.

He was a gold medallist in the veteran 50 plus category with a time of 68:12.

The outstanding Spartan run was by Simon Bell who won the silver medal in the veterans' 40 plus category with a time of 58:44. He was eighth overall in the whole race of several hundred people.

Annette Bell took bronze in the women's 35 plus category with an excellent time of 71:48.

Both the Spartans men's and women's teams won county bronze medals.

The men were Bell, Brown, Steven Dear and Tim Pine (four to count) and the women were Bell, Frances Ridgway and Sharon Crowley.

Times: Simon Bell 58:44, Jim Brown 68:12, Steven Dear 70:34, Paul Maguire 70:57 pb, Annette Bell 71:48, Don Papworth 72:56, Todd Gray 73:02, Tim Pine 73:52, Mark Glading 74:31 pb, Richard Sidlin 74:45 pb, Mark Beasley 75:41, Andrew Hull 78:44, Chris Newbitt 79:00, Mark Goodwin 79:59, Paul Holgate 81:40, Ian Chappell 83:29, Frances Ridgway 85:15, Sharon Crowley 85:54, Lorraine Thomas 97:48, Mark Drummond 98:23, Alison Suckling 103:25.

Carol and Dave Paul made the long trek to the beautiful Scottish Highlands to complete the Moray marathon which was based in Elgin. The couple ran and finished together in 4-30:28.

On a muggy day in Switzerland, Roger Biggs ran the Basel Marathon in 3-34:44. About 2,000 people took part.

Mud underfoot and a spell of hailstones did not deter three Spartans in the recent Pathfinder Off Road Marathon near Cambridge.

Robert Hardy completed the full marathon distance in 6-12:52 and Dave Carter took 7-17:37. Pauline Hardy completed the associated 23k event in 4-27:00.