PICKERING Running club had a good turnout among a field of 275 in the latest leg of the York Road Race 10K League – with newcomer Paul Butler leading the way.

The Knavesmire event, of three and a third laps of the ambulance track around York Racecourse, presents a flat course and many runners were duly hopeful of new personal bests.

A strong wind that developed on the second lap hampered many plans, but not those of in-form Jayson Cavill, who set a new PB of 36 minutes two seconds to achieve eighth place overall.

However, he finished behind a promising new young Pickering member in Butler, who scampered around the course in 34-07 for a superb second place.

Andy Harvey put in a gallant performance but agonisingly only managed to match his previous best of 42-04, while Phil Richardson followed his off-day at Easingwold with an early withdrawal due to an ankle problem.

Richard Todd was back on form, leading the Pickering mid-division home with 43-36. The consistent Kim England was 11th female in 43-43. Mike Wilson also went well with 43-50.

Rob Newton paced himself well for 45-37 and Lynn Humpleby matched her sub-46 second target with 45-52. Brian Reed did well for 47-00 despite being over-clad with clothing, and Rich Howell got an improved time of 50-46.

The improving recent new members starred again. Helen Scott (52-07) set her best time since motherhood, while Serena Partridge (53-37) and Sally Raines (56-56) continued to break their PBs. Becky Wright (54-05) also set a new best, while Lisa Heselwood (55-56) ran superbly with a strong finish to equal her previous best.

Philly Hare, Peter Winter and Nick Cousins took on a different challenge in the Swaledale Marathon.

Conditions were bright and sunny, but with three long climbs and most of the course off-road, this is more testing than a standard road marathon.

Cousins bettered his time last year by 15 minutes to record a superb 42nd place out of 444 runners in three hours 58 minutes.

Winter was thwarted by leg cramps in the final quarter of the race, battling through for a time of 4-50. Hare managed a sprint finish for 6-12.