RUNNERS from far and wide gave their backing to the first Herefordshire Running Festival leaving the four-strong organising team exhausted but delighted.

The day of racing featured a marathon, a half-marathon, a 10k and a fun run.

"IT was an event which took nine months to organise with a team of four of us and 600 happy faces, so it was really successful," said Nikki Tyler.

"We had people from all over taking part - from Spain, from the Czech Republic, Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Midlands," added Richard Danks.

"But we had local winners so that shows just how good the local runners are.

"We are trying to create a mainstream event - it was a five-year plan and we wanted to get 300 runners to start it off. We doubled that so we exceeded all expectations."

Croft Ambrey runner Stacey Morgan romped home more than 16 minutes ahead of the field to win the Blue Riband event, the marathon for the John Tarrant Trophy.

And the women's race saw success for Laura Tootell of Wye Valley Runners.

While all runners will carry away their own memories of the event, Tyler's day was made by a recollection of Hereford's famous Ghost Runner.

"I shall always remember Vic Tarrant, the late John Tarrant's brother, sitting outside Hampton Grange Nursing Home watching the marathon and half-marathon runners going through," she said.

"One of my close running friends, Mike Link was there re-enacting the Ghost Runner story, running numberless, on the start line in a cap and a mac, no-one knew he was going to do it. He ran past, shook Vic's hand, full of emotion and went on to finish the marathon all in the memory of John Tarrant.

"There was a buzzing atmosphere," she added. "It was the first time for us and four races in one day is a really big challenge but it was very successful.

"We hope that it will be the first of what will become an annual event, the response and feedback has been fantastic."

Men’s marathon results: 1 Stacey Morgan (Croft Ambrey) 2:47:17, 2 David Williams (Hereford Couriers) 3:04:48, 3 Giles Dawnay (Bristol and West) 3:14:15, 4 Steve Edwards (Bourton Road Runners) 3:17:30, 5 Jake Morris 3:22:54, 6 Alex Hustwayte 3:26:49, 7 Fran Rodriguez 3:28:22, 8 David Wintle (100 Marathon Club) 3:29:14, 9 Neil Grinnell (Ledbury and District Harriers) 3:31:24, 10 Gary Barnes (St Neots Riverside) 3:33:01, 11 Jirí Sýkora 3:34:40, 12 Bryn Higgs 3:36:41, 13 Michael Grehan (Dunstable Road Runners) 3:37:58, 14 Peter Dennett (100 MC) 3:39:57, 15 Chris Bozier 3:40:42, 16 Paul Jones (Wye Valley Runners) 3:41:08, 17 Malcolm Collins (Astley and Tyldesley Road Runners) 3:41:27, 18 Kevin Artus (WVR) 3:47:32 , 19 Richard Dawe 3:48:41, 20 Sean Birch (100 MC) 3:49:15, 21 Simon Downs (East End Road Runners) 3:50:05, 22 Stephen Greenhalgh (Ludlow Runners) 3:50:55, 23 Neil Taylor (CA) 3:51:26, 24 Steve King (WVR) 3:56:00, 25 Sam Scholefield 3:57:13.

Women’s marathon results: 1 Laura Tootell (Wye Valley Runners) 3:29:10 , 2 Nikki Childs (WVR) 3:32:27 , 3 Beth Taylor-Jones 3:41:37, 4 Sian Williams-Reid 3:42:58, 5 Katharine Collins (Parc Bryn Bach Running Club) 4:05:48, 6 Natalie Perrott 4:07:24, 7 Mui Imm Tan 4:27:52, 8 Lucyna Kunc 4:31:20, 9 Margaret Hodges 4:37:24, 10 Michelle Jayne (Parc Bryn Bach RC) 4:40:41, 11 Tess Brooks 4:46:03, 12 Peter Brown 4:46:03, 13 Katie Davis 4:58:08, 14 Emma Jarvis 5:01:05, 15 Linda Wozencroft (WVR) 5:38:34.

Men’s half marathon results: 1 Stuart Henderson (Corsham RC) 1:18:31, 2 Martin Shaw (Brecon AC) 1:19:38, 3 Sam Matchette 1:20:21, 4 Tim Jones (Sarn Helen) 1:22:00, 5 Jon Tetley (Hereford Triathlon Club) 1:29:03, 6 Russell James (Hereford Couriers) 1:31:38, 7 Mark Dykes 1:32:11, 8 David Atkinson (Northern Veterans AC) 1:33:35, 9 Paul Saville (HTC) 1:34:14, 10 Nathan Brans 1:35:59, 11 Gregory Davies (Croft Ambrey) 1:36:02, 12 Benjamin Pilsbury 1:36:11, 13 Russell Finch (Spirit of Monmouth) 1:36:18, 14 Luke Eversham (HTC) 1:36:58, 15 Samuel Cochrane 1:37:06, 16 Mark Watkins (WVR) 1:37:35, 17 Matthew Stezaker 1:39:45, 18 Phil Hawkins 1:40:28, 19 Richard Rawlins 1:40:58, 20 Mark Worthing (HTC) 1:41:07.

Women’s half marathon results: 1 Vicki Andrews 1:31:51, 2 Victoria Veness (Clc striders) 1:35:20, 3 Megan Judge (Malvern Joggers) 1:36:04, 4 Jo Meadowcalf 1:38:29, 5 Rebecca Davies (WVR) 1:39:01, 6 Charlotte Mcglone (Gloucester AC) 1:41:22, 7 Celia Speake (HTC) 1:42:17, 8 Rebecca Needham 1:46:40, 9 Anna Mulderrig 1:47:37, 10 Kristina Gulliver 1:47:46, 11 Ann-Christin Moody 1:49:52, 12 Lara Inglis 1:52:55, 13 Amy Turner (Fit + Healthy Minds RC) 1:53:35, 14 Lorraine Wadley (HTC) 1:55:36, 15 Sian Stroud 1:55:38, 16 Sarah Sayce 1:57:00, 17 Lisa Quinn 1:59:20, 18 Sally Yapp 2:02:43, 19 Bev Tyler (HC) 2:03:23, 20 Hollie Thomas 2:05:02.

Men’s 10K results: 1 Matt James (Hereford) 38:22, 2 Tim Cooke 38:44, 3 David Ameghino (CA) 41:44, 4 Nick Hitchings (WVR) 41:48, 5 Matt Ansfield (HTC)42:18, 6 James Davies 42:26, 7 Matthew Mulcahy 42:35, 8 Thom Lambert 42:58, 9 James Day (Pontypool Runners) 43:09, 10 Peter Carwardine (HC) 43:48, 11 Lea Wood (WVR) 45:02, 12 David Obrien 45:12, 13 Robert Mccrory 45:14, 14 Matthew Andrews 45:38, 15 Paul Kemp (WVR) 45:40, 16 Matthew Morris (Climb on Bikes) 45:46, 17 Lewis Hayde 45:55, 18 Joshua Thomas 45:59, 19 Sebastian Bacon 46:10, 20 Jonathan Chambers (Headington Road Runners) 46:11.

Women’s 10K results: 1 Claire Gilbert (Nawfern Joggers) 46:24, 2 Naomi Prosser (HCAC) 46:38, 3 Suzette Botha 46:42, 4 Tracy Ford 46:52, 5 Steph Main (Ghost Runners) 47:06, 6 Jodie Newell 47:46, 7 Lucia Hinksman 48:48, 8 Lisa Ruck 49:09, 9 Jane Hayde 49:20, 10 Clare Mallender 49:51, 11 Tracy Edwards 50:15, 12 Kristina Jones 50:15, 13 Louise Ainger (WVR) 50:17, 14 Jan Edwards (WVR) 50:27, 15 Emily Harbottle 50:30, 16 Sharron Mulcahy 50:32, 17 Christina Plant 50:47, 18 Michelle Margrie 51:34, 19 Kathy Denattia (WVR) 52:27, 20 Laura Harris 52:38.