Ollie leads the field at Warkworth Show run

This year, Brendan Foster was the celebrity race starter and the BBC filmed the runners charge out over the draw bridge and into the fields beyond.

The 2.5km course extends out to Watershaugh Road then leads the runners back down to the river opposite the Hermitage. After a quick race alongside the river, the competitors meet the steep climb back up to the castle where they are required to race round the moat and finally cross the finish line under the draw bridge.

A large crowd gathered along the side of the moat and drawbridge to wait for the runners to return. First back and overall winner in 8min 40s was junior Harrier Ollie Telfer followed by Ben Murray John. Lauren Brown was next home in 9min 10s, Lauren was first U14 and overall female race winner.

Mike Telfer tried his hardest to beat Lauren but was 10s further back as first male. Max Murray John had a great race to finish 5th as first U14 boy.

The race was superbly attended with runners of all ages taking part, the friendly atmosphere and support of the crowd, marshals and race organisers made this, once again, a fantastic local race.

TRIATHLON

Two members of Alnwick Triathlon Club, Chris Calvert and Tania Conway raced close to home this weekend at Bamburgh Sprint Triathlon.

Northumberland weather returned to normal service after the heatwave, resulting in the swim leg of the triathlon being cancelled for safety reasons and the triathlon became a duathlon with a 1-mile run, 14.5-mile bike ride and finishing with a 3.5-mile run.

The first run was three laps of the cricket field, then onto the bike route where competitors had to deal with the usual potholes and temporary traffic lights. The second run was an out-and-back course partly on roads and partly through the golf course and dunes. The bad weather did at least mean there were no flying golf balls to dodge!

Chris finished 2nd in his age group with a time of 1:25:38 and Tania, who was knocked off her bike at the dismount line by a competitor who misjudged stopping distances in the rain, finished 1st in her age group with a time of 1:35:16.

Unfortunately, neither made it to the podium as the age groups were banded into 10-year groups for the presentations.

Athletes set out at the start of the Warkworth Show run from the castle.