COURSE record for the highly successful 5k parkrun at Churchill Gardens tumbled twice at the weekend, both of the new marks set after some great running by athletes from the City of Salisbury club.

Ben Brewster chose a cool, dry morning to make his first appearance at the Salisbury parkrun, now two months old, and stamped his class on the twisting three lap course right from the start.

His time of 16min 07sec not only shaved 20 seconds off the previous record held by Michael Beckett of Southampton AC but was one of the quickest performances among the 350 parkruns now held all over the UK every weekend.

The women’s course record was given an even bigger hammering by the talented Abigail Burn, not yet 14 but already a force to be reckoned with in athletics' circles. Her time of 18.45 at the finish line sliced no less than 40 seconds off the previous best on the course set in early June by Molly Rasch, several years her senior, at Salisbury’s inaugural event.

In the Sturminster Newton half marathon, Rithy Hy again demonstrated his current good form with a run of 1hour 26min 30sec, clipping a minute off his personal best at the distance, and Jo-Anne Gready clocked a steady 1.42.21.