The long Easter weekend allowed Garden City Runners to spread their wings and head off to many varied and different events.

Parkruns still proved popular as sunshine greeted the 133 GCRs out on Saturday morning.

Katharine Farrell and Michael Germany were at Endcliffe in Sheffield, Clare Wildey took on Longrun Meadow in Taunton, Somerset and Simon Bostock who was third at Beacon in Lichfield.

One of the furthest to travel was Samantha Hastie at Lews Castle on the Isle of Lewis but she was trumped by Kathryn McGuinness who took on Donaupark in Vienna and Kyle Kean who was at Shingashigawa Ukima in Japan.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Jessica Timmins (right) at Fountains Abbey Parkrun. Picture: GCR.Jessica Timmins (right) at Fountains Abbey Parkrun. Picture: GCR. (Image: Garden City Runners)

Matt Baker was fifth closer to home at Westmill in Ware while Jessica Timmins was fifth lady at Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire.

She managed a three-second PB, clocking 20:35, and thoroughly recommends the event for its course, facilities and stunning scenery.

Garden City Runners' home event at Panshanger had Thomas Buzzard second into the finish funnel and Chris Dungate in seventh.

Felicity Wadley was second lady, Lucy Iles sixth and Katy Healey in eighth.

There were a couple of milestones too.

Justin Swallow got a parkrun PB for the second week in a row, his time of 25:32 being 59 seconds quicker than his efforts the week before.

Kath Evans meanwhile enjoyed her 250th.

It wasn't her only exertions of the weekend either, Sunday's plod taking her round Kew Gardens and out and back along the Richmond towpath by the Thames

Peter Sawko and Kerry Henderson opted for the Grizzly Cross Country, an arduous 20 mile cross country race over hills, along stony beaches and through bogs and rivers at Seaton in Devon.

Sawko finished in 5:48:09 while Henderson had to drop out after a sterling effort.

Ex-GCR Wendy Hindlaugh finished 5:13:31.

A group of GCRs took part in the annual St Albans Easter 10k race too.

Martin Mitchell was the first of them to finish in 39:29, good enough for 43rd place.

Andy Morgan was also inside the top 100, coming 88th, while Nigel Cavill was just outside in 108th.

Veronica Shadbolt was the first GCR female in 47:02, less than a minute ahead of Amber-Leigh Marvin who in turn was less than a minute ahead of Caroline Hale.