A TURNOUT of 224 runners was quite remarkable in the wettest conditions we can remember in more than four years of Bolton parkrun.

The rain bucketed down through the night, leaving the Leverhulme Park course like a swimming pool, and continued to drench runners and officials from start to finish.

It did not even relent while we were closing down the course before leaving at 10:30am and our trusted gazebo was put to the test as people took cover under it as the rain bashed down.

A hardy 20 volunteers turned up regardless of the elements, smiling, clapping and cheering the runners around the course.

It takes something special to do your first parkrun in conditions like this and there were 20 brave first timers.

An incredible 17 new personal best times were recorded and 16 different athletics clubs were represented.

Phil Eccleston, a man not unused to running challenging races in uncomfortable conditions, was first across the line, followed by Thomas Fletcher and Rob Short.

Paula Pilling, Fiona Edwards and Olivia Kearney were their female counterparts, while Eileen Royle (73.80 per cent), Tony Wall (72.15 per cent) and Phil Eccleston (71.26 per cent) achieved the day’s highest age gradings (a runner's time compared with the world record time for their sex and age).

Runner of the week

Isabel Harper

ACHIEVED a new personal best of 29mins 12 in terrible conditions – a first PB since January last year.