A BUSY week for the North Norfolk Beach Runners began with the club organising another hugely successful road race, the North Norfolk 7.More than 250 runners from all over the East Anglia enjoyed the hilly course running from Holt to Kelling and back to the town across Salthouse Heath.

A BUSY week for the North Norfolk Beach Runners began with the club organising another hugely successful road race, the North Norfolk 7.

More than 250 runners from all over the East Anglia enjoyed the hilly course running from Holt to Kelling and back to the town across Salthouse Heath.

City of Norwich AC dominated with James O'Neill and and Andy Jones taking the top spots with sub 40 minute times.

Most of the Cromer club's members were needed to help marshal the course but three enjoyed the good running conditions, Gill Martin, Tim Shotbolt and Jane Ratcliffe.

It was Gill Martin's first attempt at the distance and she missed first prize in her age group by just one second despite a hamstring injury.

At the weekend, 11 Beach Runners travelled to the Great Yarmouth 10k. The club's first runner home was former Yarmouth member Richard Blake in 48th place in a creditable 40:27. Richard may have been feeling the effects of his superb run at the Leicester Marathon, 53rd in just over 3-5.

Club chairman Jim Hayes, back from a lengthy trip to Eastern Europe, struggled with strained calf muscles and a fall at the start and failed to take yet another age group first.

Chris Southwell managed a top-200 finish among over 500 whilst Ian Jarvis, Noel Spruce and Christina Walker narrowly missed out on breaking 50 minutes. Further back in the pack Mike Marshall, Andi and Rob Osborne, Lindsay Kitchen and Margaret Ison all recorded good finishes.

Geoff Hayward visited the Fenland 10 mile but missed out on first prize in the 65 plus age group. He finished a tantalising five metres behind his main rival in an excellent time of 78:20 for 139th place.