IRVINE running and jogging group, Ron's Runners had a fairly busy week with lots of club members out enjoying the change in the weather home and away and over vastly different types of events.

The club’s ultra-runners Sylvia Mulholland and Neil McMullen completed the D33 run in Aberdeen last Saturday.

The name derives from the River Dee and the mileage which is 33 miles and run mostly on cycle tracks over various underfoot conditions.

Advertising for the event merely states that the idea is simple and all a runner needs to do is turn up at Duthie Park and run the first section of the Deeside way to Banchory and once there turn around and head back the same trail to finish once more in the Park.

Sylvia maintained her superiority over Neil over ultra-running events with an impressive time of 5 hours and 36 minutes, despite recovering from a foot injury and a curtailed training schedule over the crucial last few weeks leading to some doubt in her mind if she was certain to complete the whole 33 miles.

Neil, who also did the race last year was hampered by sore legs, but as the miles flowed the pain eased and he finished satisfied to record 6h 18m. An incredible 246 athletes completed the route with the last runner home recording 9 hours and 16 mins.

Carol Finlay completed the Ben Gullipen hill race. This is an 8.5 mile 1225ft hill race near Callander in the heart of the Trossachs. After recent illness she wasn't sure if she was fit enough but entered. The race starts in the forest near the cycle centre and this year the weather was truly Scottish. On gravel and dirt forest roads the route winds up relentlessly through the trees and up onto the open hillside wrapped in cloud. Although there are no really steep climbs, the long climb seems endless and this runners had to contend with a couple of muddy sections.

At the summit the only views were of mist and the Land Rover checkpoint but Carrol raced down the hill, and with less than a mile to go she was determined that the pain of a nasty blister was not going to dampen enthusiasm to finish this race on a high. And that she did, finishing in 1:45:45 - a couple of minutes slower than last year.

John Owens and Paul McCallum both travelled to complete the Inverness half marathon on Sunday. Reporting that the first half of the race was flat, following the river Ness before heading into Culduthel Road, returning through Lochardil (with a few hills) and back onto Ness walk, following the river back into Baillifeary Park and finishing inside Queens Park Stadium. There was a brilliant turnout and runners welcomed a rain shower round about five miles for a short time, which cooled everyone down. Paul – who ran the Inverness parkrun on the Saturday in 25.40 went on to complete the race in 1.54.49. John completed the course in 1.59 within his target of under 2 hours.

Mark Garton completed this week’s Great Glasgow Quays 5k in a time of 24:07.

In this week’s Eglinton Parkrun, Cameron Miller was first over the finish line with 19:26 with John Owens recording 21:52, just ahead of his pal Neil Kyle 22:01. Hugh Hood was next with 24:48 and first lady for the club was Fiona Wyper 24:59, which earned her the honour of second lady overall. Pamela Porteous 25:39 followed Fiona for 4th lady overall. Margaret Craig’s 30:31 was her best for some time and was just ahead of Amy Dickson 31:22 - a second faster than her mum Suzanne Dickson 31:23. Eric Pearson 31:41 finished ahead of Carol Rome 32:31 and Jennifer Shaw as tail runner recorded 43:38.

Rons Runners will host their second annual 5k spring race on Wednesday, April 19 at Irvine Beach Park.