Searing heat didn’t stop runners tackling half marathons in Torbay, Wilmslow, Woolacombe, Swansea and the Humber Bridge, while there were competitive 10ks in Norwich and Southampton too.

Matt Clowes and Tracy Barlow both clocked course record times to win the titles at the Swansea Half Marathon. A report from the Welsh city can be found here.

Meanwhile, Jo Williams and Paul Martelletti kicked off the weekend with the fastest times at parkruns across the UK. You can read about the fastest times on Saturday morning here.

Torbay half marathon

Exmouth Harriers and Shaftesbury Barnet provided the winners of this year’s Torbay half marathon, which sees runners enjoying fantastic sea views on the out and back coastal course.

Tom Merson added yet another victory to his already stacked race win compilation when he held off fellow Devon athlete Shaun Antell from Bideford by just under a minute, Merson taking the win in 69:03 to Antell’s 69:54. Tom Higgs took the final podium place with a 70:28 result on his debut over the distance.

Shaftesbury’s Rachel Felton is also a near ever-present at race prize presentations every time she competes, and a 13th place overall and a 77:05 clocking proved enough for first place on a very hot day on the Devon coast. Torbay AC’s Charlie Arnell knocked more than four minutes off her PB when she came in second in 78:44, while Lindsay Carrick’s 79:57 completed a very competitive top three.

North Devon Hospice half and marathon

While the full results were still being compiled, the winners of both the half and the marathon were confirmed soon after on one of the hottest days of the year on the North Devon coast.

Cheltenham Harriers’ John Parker beat last year’s winning time by two minutes when he ran 87:15 on this hugely challenging fell course, which saw competitors climbing up the cliff paths, descending down at a near vertical angle and traversing long sandy beaches in the picturesque bays of Woolacombe and Croyde.

Bristol Southville’s Jane Farrow held onto her title from last year’s event when she finished first lady in 98:47, just two minutes shy of the course record.

Wimbledon Windmillers’ Keith Macintosh was a cool and collected winner of the marathon when he crossed the line after 3:23:58 of running, barely breaking a sweat!

The incredible Mary Menon from nearby Ilfracombe RC was the stand out winner of the day, though, finishing third overall in 3:46:22, which represented the prolific marathon winner’s fifth victory here in a row.

Wilmslow half marathon

Altrincham District AC’s Mo Abu-Rezeq recorded a super fast half marathon and a dominant performance when he won Wilmslow in 66:44.

The Jordanian athlete beating his nearest rival, Border Harriers’ James Douglas by nearly two and a half minutes.

However, Douglas’s 69:04 was no reflection of his clear ability, as the Cumbrian athlete holds a 66:48 PB to his name. Wreake & Soar Valley’s Danny Hallam completed the top three when he crossed the line 70:02.

Rotherham Harriers’ female athletes are an increasing presence on the podiums of road races nationwide, and this time it was the club’s Sarah Lowery claiming victory in 80:12.

Fellow V35, St Helens Sutton AC’s Gemma Connolly ran 82:09 for second, while Katherine Wood from Sale Harriers finished just 8 seconds behind in third with an 82:17 result.

Humpty Dumpty 10k, Norwich

The Norfolk city streets were packed when close to 700 runners wound through the cobbled streets in searing heat for the latest edition of the Humpty Dumpty 10k.

Home talent and increasingly competitive City of Norwich AC (CONAC) athlete Dani Nimmock took the women’s race in 35:14 when she finished eighth overall, following up on her Manchester marathon win and her victory in the Westminster Mile ‘holding hands’ world record attempt.

Her teammate Ellie Grubb (35:59 PB) shows signs of returning to form after finishing runner-up here in 38:11, while Emma Risbey made it a CONAC 1 2 3 when she clocked third place in 38:45.

CONAC’s Ash Harrell took the overall win in 31:50, well ahead of second-placed Kevin Holland (33:11), while Ryston’s James O’Neill was also running solo in third when he crossed the line in 33:52.

Humber Bridge half marathon

The hills and the heat made it tough going for the hordes of athletes taking on the Humber Bridge half, with U20 Callum Elon from Roundhay Runners taking the win from V35 Robert Weekes from East Hull.

Their times of 74:22 and 75:04 were strong in the conditions, while Caistor’s Rob Payne also impressed in third with a 75:49 result.

University of Sheffield’s Becky Rigby followed up her recent win and second place at the last two editions of the popular Podium 5k with victory here in 80:16, finishing 10th overall.

Barton & District’s promising athlete Keri Pearson was second in 87:21, while Natalie Bell’s 89:14 was good enough for third, and was also more than five minutes ahead of the next female finisher.

Lordshill 10k, Southampton

The home talent’s Jen Elkins was an impressive winner of the women’s race on the south coast when she took the title in 35:52, while Fleet & Crookham’s Helen Cozens also ran well for second in 37:14.

City of Portsmouth’s Emma Jolley was never far behind when she finished in 37:29, making it one of the fastest 10ks for women’s results in the country this weekend.

Elkins’ teammate Matthew Bennett took the men’s victory in 33:05, with second and third also breaking 34 minutes.

Southampton provided the second men’s prize winner when Richard Waldron recorded a 33:25 result, and the City of Salisbury’s Stuart Holloway ran 33:42 for third.