St Albans Striders consolidated their lead at the top of the Midweek Road Race League Division One with strong race performances in the 10k race at Royston.

Claire Hallissey led the ladies’ race once again, winning by nearly two minutes in 37:20. The ladies were winners in the team event, too, with Claire Kremer (3rd), Wendy Walsh (8th), Helen Cartlidge (10th), Jenny Maddocks (12th), Lucy Martin (14th), Mercedes Getino-Gordon (25th) and Claire Hobson (28th) making up the team.

The veterans’ team of Kremer, Walsh, Cartlidge and Maddocks also won the day.

Paul Adams won the men’s race in 33:13, with the team made up by Blake Vivian (4th), Si Fraser (7th), Peter Crowdell (10th, 3rd vet 40), Graham Smith (18th), David Hope (23rd), Nairn McWilliams (25th), Martin Whitworth (26th), Graham Foster (31st), Andy Auld (32nd), Gary Warren (40th) and Ed Bailey (49th).

The team was edged into second place on the night by Trent Park, but the men’s veterans’ team of Crowdell, Smith, Whitworth, Foster, Auld and Warren won their race comfortably.

With one race to go, Striders are now well-placed to top both men’s and ladies’ seniors and veterans leagues.

Elsewhere, Jack Brooks ran the Mayo Midnight Marathon in the Yukon, Canada in 4 hours 20 minutes and Paul Sowter and James Smith ran the South Downs Trail Half Marathon in one hour 42 minutes.