Christmas and new year may mean excess for some but Garden City Runners tempered that by finding time to stretch their legs.

Sharon Threlfall began 2022 with the East Hanningfield Trail Marathon on Sunday, battling ankle-deep mud in parts as well a stiff wind and hilly sections, to finish 41st out of a field of 90, beating her 2019 time by 15 minutes.

Parkruns filled the role for most other club members with runs on both Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Christmas Day saw 35 GCRs involved in the club's home run at Panshanger while Caroline Hale was third lady at Stevenage.

Further afield Chris Eland was fourth at Cleethorpes and Barbara Kubis-Labiak and son Mattie ran in sub-zero temperatures at the Opole Parkrun in Poland.

Back home Sean Bowen was eighth at Bartley Park and Tom Wackett ninth at Grovelands.

Christmas Day’s turnout was surpassed on the first day of the new year with a total of 83 out and about.

Hale went two places better to claim the ladies' win at Stevenage with Helen Paine clocking a course PB in fifth.

Dan Pudner took the win at Panshanger ahead of Jack Tann while Eland and Wackett made it four GCRs in the top five.

Richard Somerset was first at Sunny Hill Parkrun in Hendon while Philip Hawkes was third at Dunstable Downs.

Special congratulations went to Helen Stafford who ran her 100th parkrun at Westmill, finishing as second lady.