Team Bath AC runners Allister Sheffield, Luke Sturgess-Durden and Georgia Wood had good reason to celebrate after Sunday's Bath Half.

Sheffield finished as the top club runner in his first serious attempt at the distance, the 32-year-old teacher clocking a respectable time of 72mins 17secs to finish 28th overall from a field of almost 11,000 runners.

Sturgess-Durden smashed his PB by four minutes with a time of 78:40 for 97th place, while Wood clipped 36 seconds off her PB with 81:22 to finish as 15th woman overall.

"It was my first competitive half marathon and I was not sure what to expect," said Weston-based Sheffield, who is a relative latecomer to the sport.

"I got a bit nervous when we reached the first mile in five minutes so I backed off instead of pushing on but that unfortunately left me stranded on my own for a long time and I had to work really hard.

"In that sense I was a little disappointed with my performance but now, on reflection, I have to be pretty happy with my time.

"I have got a decent performance under my belt and I felt strong. I'm sure there is more to come."

For Sturgess-Durden, Sunday's race was the climax of an incredible 10 days that saw him race three times – and record three PBs.

"I did 2hrs 9mins in the Bramley 20 and then set a PB of 17:12 in the TeamBath club 5k the previous Tuesday," explained Sturgess-Durden.

"If you also include a PB of 59:10 for my 10 miles split in Sunday's half then that is four new PBs so it has been a pretty good 10 days."

Sturgess-Durden also paid tribute to friend and training partner Brian Penny, who ran with him despite struggling with a recent injury.

"Brian paced me around until I pushed on in the last mile and he is great to run with," added Sturgess-Durden, who lives in Monkton Combe.

Paul Newman had a cracking run, the 51-year-old clocking a time of 79:51 which was only 22 seconds outside the PB that he set four years ago in the White Horse half.

Coincidentally Newman's time was exactly the same as he ran in the 2005 Bath event so he is clearly aging very well.

Other veterans to impress were the TeamBath pair of Jo Thompson, who finished 18th woman to claim the over-50s prize, and Zina Marchant, who was awaiting confirmation that she was top veteran over-55.

Outside the TeamBath club, local runners Martin Cox and Mick O'Doherty – who both live in Larkhall – had impressive runs.

Mountain running international Cox was eighth overall and first veteran over-40 in a fine PB of 66:01, while O'Doherty – who warmed up by singing to the field on the start line with his colleagues in the Bath Male Choir – went on to pick up the over-50s' prize in a respectable time of 72:36.

Bradford on Avon landscape gardener Tom Fisher, winner of the recent Slaughterford event, finished 58th, in 75:10, 36 seconds outside his best time set last year in the Chippenham half.