WITH the timely change in the weather on Sunday, eight Chard Road Runners took on the challenge of the 21st running of the Full Monty-Cute, a 10-mile 10-hill trail race starting and finishing at Ham Hill.

Heading out for CRRs were Wayne Loveridge, Stephen Barnes, Liam Whyte, James Ashby, Jack Dickenson, Philip Goodridge-Reynolds, Simon Hall and Helen Baxter.

Loveridge made a mad sprint to be in the top ten before the first pinch point, with Barnes just behind.

The first of the hills which would have benefited from having ropes to help runners climb the steep muddy path saw Whyte, Ashby and Dickenson swap positions as they were losing grip.

Four miles in and with the race stretching out, Goodridge-Reynolds was now into his pace and started to pick off some positions.

Hall was pacing himself for a sub two-hour race but the mud over his next section was really putting his challenge to the test, while Baxter was taking the slips and falls as part of the enjoyment of doing the Full Monty-Cute as the race headed past its halfway point.

Loveridge, having been passed by a few early sprint runners, started to gain on them and was fourth after seven miles.

Stephen Barnes, having been pushing hard, was in a top 30 position and, as the eight-mile point was reached, Whyte, Ashby and Dickenson were still only separated by a few minutes while Hall’s target was under threat.

Loveridge crossed the line in 1h 12m 20 and second overall, next for CRRs was Barnes who in a long sprint in crossed the line in 1.22.23 (20/237).

Whyte was next in 1.27.01 (37/237), Ashby rounded off his first Monty in 1.30.03 (47/237) and Dickenson came home in 1.33.31 (60/237).

Goodridge-Reynolds crossed in 1.50.06 (142/237) and, with the clock ticking down to the two-hour mark, Hall rounded the corner to sprint into the finish line crossing in a magical 1.59.50 (180/237).

Baxter crossed with a huge smile in 2.04.17 (191/237).

MINSTER Milers’ Andrew Owen completed the Full Monty-Cute in 1.31.18, placing him 55th.

In action for Crewkerne Running Club were Paul Thomas (1.21.54), Ben Veasey (1.37.35), Jonathon Stokes (1.47.14) and Alex Lewis (1.48.05).

The race was won by Chris McMillan in 1.06.33.