WILLIAM Morris led the field home as runners tackled the challenging Wyedean Ultra between Ross-on-Wye and Chepstow on Sunday, August 30.

The Hereford Couriers runner completed the 56.6km course in five hours, 36 minutes and 10 seconds to take victory in the third staging of the ultramarathon.

Molly Grace Waddington produced an impressive performance to finish second overall and claim the women’s title in 5:51:26, just two seconds ahead of third-placed Scott Ayres.

The event, organised by Rogue Runs, took competitors from the bandstand in Ross to the finish at Chepstow bandstand, incorporating sections of the Wye Valley Walk and Offa’s Dyke.

Runners faced 1,173 metres of climbing across the picturesque but demanding route, which was divided into seven sections with six checkpoints providing food, drinks and timing points.

There was a strong showing from Chepstow Harriers, with Douglas Briggs finishing fourth overall in 5:53:06 and also leading the V50 competitors.

Clubmate Jonathan Carter followed in fifth place in 6:14:31, while Chepstow’s Rory Deuchar completed the course in 10th overall with a time of 7:03:00.

Wye Valley Runners’ Oliver Steels also secured a top-10 finish, crossing the line eighth in 6:42:10.

MonRoss Trailblazers were represented by Grant White and Rachael Aitken, who finished within seconds of each other after almost eight hours on the trails.

White took 20th place in 7:59:12, with Aitken following in 21st just 10 seconds later.

The self-navigation event started at 9am and ran alongside the separate Wyedean Relay, with competitors encountering relay runners at points along the route.

All finishers received a bespoke event medal, while category winners were awarded trophies and prizes supplied by Tintern-based Kingstone Brewery.

Organisers described the route along the River Wye as suitable for both experienced ultra runners and those tackling the distance for the first time.