Pete Ryder was three minutes slower than his record-setting run in 2010, but on a very wet course he finished a minute ahead of Tom Burden to nail first prize on the day and first prize in the eight-race South Wales Winter Series – his third and thus record-breaking Series win.

Katie Beecher who had run to the start from Abergavenny was first woman ahead of Series winner Niki Morgan.

Other age category winners were Paul Chester, Max Suff, Neil Grant, Rob West and Jane Bayliss who we believe is only the second F60 to take part in the whole 22 years of the Winter Series.

Martin Lucas, retiring Winter League co-organiser and co-founder (along with the absent John Sweeting), performed his usual mathematical wizardry to present the Series prizes straight after the race, and will be posting the final table and report when he and partner (and ever-present marshal) Kay return from a welcome break down at Lands End. The Brycheiniog team presented Martin with a thank-you gift and the thanks of all the thousand+ runners who’ve taken part in the Series over the years.

Today’s organiser was grateful to Kay for today’s marshalling on the Offa’s Dyke ridge in rain, sleet and snow, to Rob Brown for course-marking, and to the accurate and efficient finish team of Sue Ashton, Denise Evans, Andy Blackmore and Andy Creber (who also performed miracles in parking a quart of cars into a pint-sized car park).             Dick Finch