Great Yarmouth Road Runners may well be quite a small club compared to some local rivals such as City of Norwich AC and Ipswich Jaffa, but it is certainly not short of members who take on the full marathon distance - with generally pleasing outcomes.

Great Yarmouth Road Runners may well be quite a small club compared to some local rivals such as City of Norwich AC and Ipswich Jaffa, but it is certainly not short of members who take on the full marathon distance - with generally pleasing outcomes. Since the beginning of August there have been marathon efforts at a variety of different locations.

Mike Spragg was at the European Veterans' Marathon in Slovenia in August when he was seventh in his age category.

September saw two marathons on the same day, with Richard Blake finishing tenth overall at Mablethorpe and Stephen Etherington obtaining a personal best at Nottingham.

In early October John Bone popped up in Budapest where he was fifth in his age category and later on that same month there were again two marathons on the same day in Leicester and Amsterdam.

Leicester saw Richard Blake, this time accompanied by Andy Peck, flying the flag while the massive event which is the Amsterdam Marathon was graced by Phil Quantrill and Karen Manning, the latter with another personal best.

So six marathons in the space of three months shows that the Road Runners are not ones to let the grass grow under their feet.

Which brings the subject around neatly to the cross- country season which is now well under way and on which there will be a full report next week.

Marathon Times. Mike Spragg, Slovenia, August: 3-17:45; Richard Blake, Mablethorpe, September: 3-06:08; Stephen Etherington, Nottingham, September: 3-18:11; John Bone, Budapest, October: 3-35:47; Richard Blake, Leicester, October: 3-05:56; Phil Quantrill, Amsterdam, October: 2-58:06; Karen Manning, Amsterdam, October: 3-50:09.

Mike Spragg