SCORES of runners braved the chill air of a Monmouthshire morning yesterday (SUN) to take on the demands of the annual Kymin Dash.

And there were well-wishers aplenty too, lining the route to urge on the hardy participants as they scaled the steep 850 feet climb to the Kymin Round House before descending through fields, forest tracks and roads back to where they started, at Monmouth School Sports Club.

The Kymin Dash has a long history, but its current incarnation is as a 7.1 mile race, organised by the Spirit of Monmouth Running Club.

The Dash was resumed as an annual spectacle just three years ago, but has proved its worth as a vehicle for charity fundraising, as well as a stiff test of endurance.

Monmouth Aid and the Gwent Appeal of ABF The Soldiers' Charity have benefited in the past two years, and this year the Kymin Dash is raising funds for Action Duchenne, the charity supporting people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and their families.

More information on the event is available by visiting www.kymin.spiritofmonmouth.co.uk where this year's results will also be published.