PERSONAL bests galore came in Sunday's BRASS MONKEY HALF MARATHON after all 1,750 places had been sold out within 80 minutes in October.

Despite the race's name, conditions were ideal as the Knavesmire Harriers' race organisers had gritted the entire course to prevent any icy patches.

A total of 1,520 souls set off due south from York Racecourse for a 13-mile tour of the flatlands of Bishopthorpe and Appleton Roebuck, and a group of four formed a gap and stayed within 100 yards of each other throughout.

Dan Kestral (Barnsley) was the eventual winner in 68min 52sec (chip-timed) over Steven Hebblethwaite (Kendal) and York University student John Sanderson.

Jamil Parapia ran 69:05 in fourth, and the Bingley Grammar School teacher was delighted, writing: "Finally got under 70 mins at half marathon. Next up Dewsbury 10k."

Scott Harrington (Otley) also ran a personal best in 70:25, finishing seventh.

Under Parapia's coaching, Harrington has improved almost four minutes in two years.

Sharon Barlow (Darlington) was first lady in 78min 33sec, and was the last of 58 runners to break the six-minute-per-mile barrier.

Tori Green (Ripon) and Tracy Millmore (Birtley) were both within a minute of her.

The top 50 ladies were dominated by runners from the north-east and North Yorkshire.

Will Kerr helped drag a number of runners to their lifetime bests as he pushed the pace for another group of four: John Hobbs (Valley Striders), Dennis Speck (City of York) and Paul Millgate (Wetherby).

Kerr's own time of 73:55 was a 17-second best. He too has dropped three minutes in two years, which he credits to the Wednesday evening interval sessions led by coach Brian Scobie.

Five of Kerr's Saltaire team-mates, who travelled together, also broke records.

Graham Corbett knocked four minutes off to run 80:31, Simon Frazer lost two minutes with 87:52 and Chris Jones likewise with 88:49.

Stewart Spink (91:27) and Ian Jenkins (92:46) also made sizeable improvements.

Jenkins is a longstanding Wednesday trainee with the Scobie group, with three of the others more recent converts.

Airecentre Pacers' Will Morris was 28th in a huge personal best (75:45), just ahead of neighbour David Stoneman (Skyrac).