The festive season hasn’t prevented Buxton AC athletes from sneaking in a few races here and there between parties and Christmas revelries, with a whole host of runners taking part in a speedy parkrun or two. Several enthusiasts even managed the odd Christmas Day sprint, and some dedicated fell-fiends slipped away on Boxing Day for a crafty dash around the local hills.

Ben Light stormed home in 3^rd place at the Macclesfield Parkrun on Christmas Day morning in 18 minutes and 42 seconds, while Amy Clark not only took 6^th place overall from a field of 250 runners, but was first lady in the race in 20.09. Light’s dad, Paul, meanwhile, finished in 24.09 in 44^th place.

Six Buxton runners eschewed the delights of a family Boxing Day to head over to Totley near Sheffield to run the Two Turtle Doves 4.8 mile fell race, along with over 100 other runners. Junior Sam Soles was star of the Buxton show, returning with a fantastic 6^th placing, while Richard Bouglas followed, then Pete Bailey, Stefan Ledin, Kate Ledin and Ruth Gowers.

Sam Soles showed a field of 169 runners a clean pair of heels at the Lyme Park parkrun last weekend, with a mind-blowing first place in the 5k event in 19.11. Dan Latham was next Buxton runner home, in 10^th, while talented 10 year old Jonty Brown was next in 27^th place, and Amy Whelan 77^th.

The only way to celebrate 100 parkruns is, of course, to compete in two on the same day, as did Tracy Gregory last weekend, with number 99 at Glossop and that magical 100 over at Marple.

One of the very final races of 2018, Wormstones fell race on 31^st December out of Glossop, is a short sharpish affair, and consists of a four mile dash with 1400 feet of climbing, not for the faint-hearted or those weighed down with Christmas pudding. Two of Buxton’s finest Juniors gave the Seniors a demonstration of their undoubted talent with Sam Soles taking 4^th place and Jacob Miller finishing in 15^th, just ahead of Nick Jones in 16^th. Another Junior, Lucy Bednall, was 32^nd overall, and she was first Buxton female home, ahead of Debbie Hope (48^th) and mum Joanne (53^rd). Happily Buxton won both the male and female team prizes. 94 ran.

Alasdair Campbell celebrated the New Year with an outright win at the Bakewell parkrun in an astonishing personal best time for the speedy course of 15.58. Teammates Darren Hunt, Angela Bent and and George Webb finished in 78^th, 104^th and 119^th from a field of 199.

At the final North Staffordshire Cross Country League event, Buxton Senior Ladies validated their position with a second placing, giving them a promotion to Division One for next season. Amy Clark, Joanne Cudahy, Heather Fryer-Winder and Sarah Soles are trophy winners for their team, having competed in all four events during the season.