The runner on the front of The Phone Book for 2012/2013, to be seen outside various houses in Abingdon, is Peter Radford … Sprinter … Bronze Medalist … Rome 1960 Olympic Games.

The Olympic torch will be carried through Abingdon on Tuesday 10th July. The route will not be quite so telegraphic as the map suggests.

Having celebrated the night before in Oxford the torch will come through Abingdon in the early morning before setting off down the A415 towards Wallingford, and after a long day on the road will stop for a celebration event at Reading.

Temperatures have dropped well below freezing over the last couple of days. But it will take more than a few degrees of frost to stop the rowers from Abingdon Rowing Club. There were quite a few boats out this morning.  The boat shown in these first two pictures came a little close to the ice bank at one point and ended up smashing a track through the ice with the oars.

Ice had formed away from the main channel.

On the other side of Abingdon Bridge there were lot of people taking part in the usual Saturday morning parkrun …

There is no dress code. All abilities are welcome. Just register at Abingdon Parkrun – then turn up and run the 5km.

10 seconds into the race and last years winner Colin Paton had the lead.

At the Abbey Gateway, after about five miles, there was a leading group of three … 646: James Pearson from Beverley AC, 464: Stephen Male from Oxford City AC, and 89: James Bolton of Woodstock Harriers.

At about the half way point 464 and 646 had built up a lead over the following runners.

24 miles into the race 464 and 646 were still running together up West St Helen Street.

They were still running together back onto the Tilsley Park athletic track, but then Stephen Male pulled away, and finished with 2 hrs 31.

The first Abingdon Amblers AC athlete to cross the line had an amazing time of 2 hrs 36.

Here he is at the halfway point: Paul Fernandez. I think he finished third but am a bit worried I missed somebody in the 5 minute gap between 2nd and 3rd.