Contrast was the theme of this year’s Cribyn. It was either sunny intervals or hail showers overhead. And underfoot, 3,100 feet of climb crammed into 5 ½ miles doesn’t leave much flat ground. So Cribyners are either slogging a stiff up or trying to get their jelly legs to get up to speed on the inevitable immediate down.

Unless your name is Paul Murrin and you’re seen to actually run up those wicked slopes or swoop down the other side with your arms outstretched like a diving Spitfire. Paul headed the Race Organiser’s squeeze Ed Gamble - down from Cheshire for the weekend and observant enough on the run to spot the smallest European bird, goldcrest don’t you know, while fending off Mercia’s Tom Roo and two other Chepstow boys, Pete Ward and Matt Stott.

Alice Bedwell’s led Florence Haines up the first climb, but the U23 lass from Ilkley eventually made the finish just half a minute ahead of Alice, and four ahead of another youngster, Swansea’s Katie Reynolds .
Dick Finch