Malcolm Bayer warmed up for Sunday's Flora London Marathon by setting a Headington Roadrunners club record in the Thames Towpath 10-mile race.

His time of 59mins 31secs in finishing 13th overall and fourth veteran eclipsed the club's 60.05 veterans' record, set by Barry Burlingham at the Witney 10-mile race in 1993.

Now Bayer has set his sights on Burlingham's 1991 time of 2hrs 44mins 48secs - still the club record - for the London Marathon.

*Richard Eltham, of AFC Wallingford, and Phil Jeffery, of Wallingford Rugby Club, are running in aid of "Get Kids Going" and Lymphoma Association charities in the London Marathon.

It's their first attempt at the distance and anyone wishing to support them should contact Wallingford Sports Park on 0141 835044.

*Abingdon Amblers are running a coach up to the London Marathon. It will leave at 6am from Tesco's car park in Abingdon and will return from outside the House of Commons at around 4pm. Cost is £10, and anyone interested should contact Adele Wright on 01235 831060.

*Alchester RC's Gary Clench set a new personal best of 36.59 in finishing 61st in the Lincoln 10km road race.

Gary's brother, Alec, completed the two-lap urban course in a commendable 47.26.

And their 73-year-old father, Raymond, running in his first race for two years, achieved a time of 67.51.

Meanwhile, Marcus Vallance and Claire Bennett were among 75,000 runners who took part in The Bay of Plenty 8km race in Auckland, New Zealand.

The vast number of competitors - it's the largest mass participation athletics event in the country - made getting to the start line very difficult and it took the Alchester athletes 25 minutes to actually set off.

Once they were under way, they completed the course in 38.24.

*More than 1,000 youngsters, including those from Exel Gosford and Oxford City athletics clubs, will be competing in the Southern Electric Wessex Young Athletics League, following renewed sponsorship .