The horrendous wet weather on Sunday, November 1 did not put off an impressive turnout of Bungay Black Dog runners at the first cross-country race of the season.

The horrendous wet weather on Sunday, November 1 did not put off an impressive turnout of Bungay Black Dog runners at the first cross-country race of the season.

Of the 164 runners competing in atrocious conditions, Robbie James, (25th) was the first of 18 Black Dogs home in a time of 31:34. Lynn Emmett was 41st (33:21) and narrowly outside the top three women.

Chris Chorley was 53rd (34:16), Terry Mulcahy 56th (34:29), Roland Shaw 76th (36:13), John White 89th (37:31), Darrell Oldman 92nd (37:50), Helen Hornsey 97th (38:19), David Waterman 111th (39:23), Bobbie Sauerzapf 121st (40:41), Colin Whale 123rd (40:51), David Gilbert 126th (41:21), Neil Thomas 130th (41:59), Christine Muttitt 138th (42:50), Judy Potter 150th (45:25), Karen McMorran 152nd (45:44), Paul Seary 155th (47:33) and Jacques Groen 160th (49:13).

In the junior race, of 62 runners Kieran McMorran ran an outstanding race, coming sixth in 9:15, only six seconds behind the winner. William Oldman was 55th in 13:39 and Chris Rogers, 57th (14:51).

The Senior Women's team are sixth out of the 12 teams, the Senior Men are eighth, and overall the Black Dogs are eighth.

The juniors are sixth out of the 11 teams.

One the same day, Bob Jack completed the Stevenage Half-Marathon in 2 hours 43 minutes.

The rain was so heavy he said it was “like running through a car wash”.

On Sunday, whilst his club-mates were competing in a club event called the Denton Short Races, Ian Taylor was partaking in the second Poppy Half-Marathon held in the pleasant East Sussex town of Bexhill-on-Sea.

The four-lap course is run mostly along the seafront.

He finished in 22nd place out of 353 in a time of 1-28:21, which was 2min 14sec faster than the previous year.

Black Dog Bob Paul travelled to Italy in late October to compete in the Venice Marathon.

It's a big city race that attracts runners from all over the world.

Starting approximately 24 miles from Venice, the race passes along traffic-free roads through elegant towns and pretty countryside before crossing over the causeway to Venice and finishing on the waterfront close to St Mark's Square.

With crowds of cheering supporters, Bob beat his target and finished in a time of 4hr 20min.