Stratford ACs Not the Roman IX has long been a popular race for local runners and this year proved no exception, with 608 runners completing the constantly undulating twelve kilometer course, which begins and ends at the Sports and Social Club of the NFU Mutual Insurance Society at Tiddington.

Sunny conditions greeted the runners for the 11am start, but with the temperature still hovering around or below zero, runners had to contend with several icy patches, especially through Loxley. A good crowd cheered off the racers at the start and were able to cheer home third placed Patrick Roddy of Kenilworth Runners. The Junior runner, racing in his longest distance to date and just a day after finishing second in the Warwickshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships, ran superbly to clock 42:41. Paddy was clearly delighted when he accepted his prize to rapturous applause from his fellow team mates.

There were twenty over members of Kenilworth Runners who finished the race. Amongst them, Clive Pearce was the next Kenilworth Runner home in 34th position; Rod Goodwin returned from illness to finish 199th. New club addition Claire Goult was the first lady finisher in 226th position and she was followed by another new club member Elizabeth Keell, who finished 344th. Pauline Dable ran well, especially after competing in the Cross Country the day previous, to finish 434th, and husband Tom recovered well from the cross country too to finish 370th.