There were not a lot of people in the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre at 10pm this Friday Evening.

An adult swim costs £3.60. When I started blogging about Abingdon it was £2.80.

The young lady at the desk said things will pick up next week when all the classes start.

On 11th January they have Act!ve Launch Day – just book at reception for a free trial session. Exercising has come a long way since I started blogging about Abingdon in 2006. You can try:

• RPM
• Body Balance
• CX WORX
• Body Combat
• SH’BAM
• Body Pump.

There were 747 runners started in the Abingdon Marathon at 9am this morning. The course has not changed much in recent years.

It starts at Tilsley Park. Goes to Radley, and then Abingdon Town Centre, then twice round a circuit of South Abingdon, Drayton, Milton, and Sutton Courtenay, before returning to Tilsley Park.

Refreshments were provided for spectators, at the bottom of Preston Road, by the supporters of one runner, running for the charity Bliss – ‘working to provide the best possible care and support for all premature and sick babies and their families.’

There were lots of ways to encourage the runners.

Hooters and clapping,

and notices saying ‘Come on Daddy.’

The leading two runners , 473 Ben Fish, from Blackburn Harriers,

 and 1037, Matthew Bennett from Southampton AC, opened up quite a gap on the rest of the field

Coming in on 2:26:53 and 2:26:59.

First lady runner I saw running in was, 210, Lucy Hodgson from Newquay Road Runners, but I’ll have to check that.

More pictures on the Abingdon Blog Facebook . Congratulations to the organisers and all the marshalls for an excellent event.

Last Saturday Abingdon Town F.C. looked to be doing OK in a 1-1 draw with Bracknell Town.

On Tuesday Abingdon United got their first league win of the season. It looked like things were getting better.

Today things were not so good. Abingdon United were doing OK in the first half. They went down to ten men after a sending off, and continued to play well. However in the second half they looked second best and ended up loosing 5-0.

Abingdon Town also lost 5-0 today away from home.

Abingdon can do better.

The annual Abingdon Horse Show took place on Sunday, organised by the Berkshire Downs Riding Club, in Rye Farm Meadows by the River Thames. The club tooking over running this event in 2006 and their website says “The Club is renowned for being friendly and sympathetic!! We really are not tomorrow’s John Whittakers or Mary Thompsons and do not claim to be. What we can offer is a good grounding for you and your horse.”

The sun came out at times and the ice cream van was there along with a number of stalls, such as saddlers, more usually associated with horses….

2121 Squadron ATC Abingdon were there as usual to help set the fences and reset them when they got knocked down.

It is not an event that gets a lot of publicity locally. But there are tell tale signs to alert locals that something is happening: horse manure on town roads being one.