St Albans Striders got off to a flying start as the Midweek Road Race League returned with a bang.
A fine turnout at Stevenage's Fairlands Valley Park helped propel Striders to first place overall in Division One for what was the first actual round of the popular event in three years.
Over 400 runners took part representing six different running clubs with another four fixtures set to follow.
Steve Buckle was the first Strider home over the six-mile course in 31 minutes 51 seconds while Stefano Federici and Matthew Cooper also secured top 10 finishes.
Megan Wilson won the women’s race overall in 34:54 while Victoria Pritchard, Penny Habbick, Hannah Burkhardt and Wendy Walsh all finished in the top 15.
The Striders will host round two of the league on Wednesday, based at Highfield Park.
John Cooper meanwhile continued his fine form when representing England Masters at the Chester Half Marathon.
His time of 1:29:33 on a hilly course secured fifth place in the 12-man team.
Elsewhere, Wendy Walsh was first female finisher in the Fly 5k in Bovingdon followed by Kate Dixon.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here