Stratford AC duo rise to the Druid's Challenge

Having completed the event last year, Stratford AC duo Wayne Vickers and Graham Black entered the seventh edition of the Druid's Challenge this year.

With much greater determination, less injuries and slightly better preparation, they travelled down to the start at Ivinghoe Beacon with higher expectations than in 2015.

The event is a challenging multi-day ultra-marathon starting on the Friday and finishing on the Sunday.

The route takes in the oldest roadway in the UK, the Ridgeway. Starting in Buckinghamshire, Vickers and Black made their way to Wiltshire with two overnight stays in Watlington and Didcot.

The Ridgeway takes in stunning views of quintessential English countryside, the distance totalling 84 miles.

Vickers and Black decided this however was not enough of a challenge and took a few wrong turns adding some three to four extra miles to the first days running.

149 competitors took part in the race, with 105 completing the challenge. The overall winner was Julien Laurent with a time of 12hrs 16mins.

Vickers completed the challenge in a 14hrs 16mins in 15 place. Black finished in 14hrs 23mins in 16 place.

Special mention also goes to Caitlin Davis, also from Stratford, for completing her first ever ultra and multi-day event with a time of 16hrs 23mins in 43 place.