St Albans Striders were racing this weekend as preparations continue for next month’s London Marathon.

Graham Smith won the Vale Gallop 10k Cross Country Race in 38mins 32secs; Steve Buckle came second in the Leighton Buzzard 10k in 35mins 37secs; Edward Bailey finished third in the Stody North Norfolk cross country run in 33mins 54secs; Wendy Webster represented Hertfordshire in the Inter-Counties Cross Country, finishing 142nd.

In the Finchley 20 mile race, a perennial warm-up for the London Marathon, Striders had good placings with Adam Dunajko 27th in 2:04.34, Gary Warren 28th in 2:04.41, Martin Whitworth 41st in 2:07.55. Other Strider finishers were Simon Fraser 2:12.10, Richard Harry 2:13.43, Colin Braybrook 2:14.20, Brendan Cashman 2:28.31, Doug Hobson 2:32.52 Paula Caplan Legge 2:46.19 and Johanna Sharples 2:57.

In the Milton Keynes Half Marathon, Striders finishers included Paul Davey 1:41.41, Mick Warnes 2:00:21 and Helen Hawthorne 2:33:35. And in the Milton Keynes 10k Strider Nairn McWilliams finished 10th in 38:39 followed by Michael Wilkins 47:23, Martin Loose 47:56, Nichola Francis 53:32 and Karen Patterson 67:20.

Peter Blackaller took part in the Crufts CaniCross relay knockout competition on Friday with his dog Nellie. Sixteen CaniCross (Canine Cross Country) teams of five pairs (dog and handler/runner) took part in the Barking Mad CaniCross Trailrunners, beating the Pennine, Anglesey, Cornwall and All Sorts clubs on their way to becoming Crufts Champions.