VETERAN runner Paul Jones battled against hot conditions and tough terrain to clinch a category bronze medal at the British Masters Athletics Middle Distance Trail Championships held as part of the North Downs 30 kilometre trail race.

The course followed country lanes, established tracks such as the North Downs Way and Weald Way, plus numerous fields across local farmland, through villages and plenty of hills along the way.

The Hereford Courier runner came home in a time of two hours and 19 minutes in 33rd place overall & picked up third place in the veterans aged 45 age category.

Jones' daughter is already following in her father's footsteps and finished second in her one kilometre race.

Hereford Couriers members recently took on the challenge of the Swansea Half Marathon and despite high temperatures they came away with a host of personal best results.

The race started in the city centre and went out along the seafront out to the mumbles and back.

As the temperatures soared so did the Red’s performances with many of the team picking up new personal best times.

Matt James was the first Hereford Courier vest through the finish line in a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 32 seconds finishing in 64th place.

Ryan Knight joined the sub- 90 minutes club with a fantastic personal best run of 1:28.51 (167th), Jake Underhill chipped another couple of minutes off his personal best to record a time of 1:32.44 with Dave Williams only 10 seconds behind with a great run in 1:32.54.

Ben Skinner was another red to record a personal best clocking 1:34.43 and Jim Smith smashed his pre-race target of 1:40 to record a new personal best of 1:38.37.

Clare Mallender was the first lady Courier home in 1:39.20 and Sheryl Evans ran well on her first long race since the London Marathon to finish 11th in her category in 1:40.32.

Another personal best was recorded when Kerry Wathen who crossed the line smashing her previous in 1:43.30 and David Green had another solid run to stop the watch on 1:48.45.