RUNNERS are currently hobbling away from Pipers Way in Swindon after this morning’s half marathon and associated events in cool and foggy conditions.

Race organisers are confident the conditions will have done nothing to dent entries on the start lines for the main event or the five and two-mile fun runs.

The British Heart Foundation is confident money raised for its various causes will top £100,000 by the end of next week as donations continue to stream in for those who finished the races.

The half marathon started at 10.30am on the dot, with the five-mile multi-terrain event and two-mile fun run going off at 11am and 11.15am respectively.

The shorter events came home first in a mixed finished which kept results co-ordinators busy, before 24-year-old Richard Batsford, of Bunce Road in Stratton, began the run of half marathon finishers.

Richard won the men’s event in a time a little outside 79 minutes, with the first female home, Chippenham’s Edwina Shirazian, crossing in around 95 minutes.

The first wheelchair finisher was a familiar face to many in Swindon. Martin Lane, of Bowleymead and captain of the England wheelchair rugby league team, had his fingers crossed for a sub-two hour clocking.