When they signed up to help with leafleting and gardening and cleaning tonight, none of the runners quite knew what was in store!

The group were splitting into two tonight to help Above and Beyond and Hotwells and Redcliffe Development Group. After warming up, the leafleting crew bounded off towards St Michael's Hill. Bounding soon turned to jogging as we started the long climb over to Redland, but the group had incredible stamina and everyone got to the top looking fresh.

When we arrived in Redland, the group split into four teams for the leafleting competition (much to Alice's disappointment). Each team was allocated a different area to leaflet, a time-cap, and a shred of competition to be the first team back. Gary, Patrick, Kait and Chris flew back, breaking what must be a record of delivering 60 leaflets in just 9 minutes. The second team were hot on their heels, coming in with 10 minutes left on the clock. While the other two teams were nowhere to be seen, the first two showed-off just how they had got so quick by practicing hill sprints, before being joined by the third team for the chair-lunge relay. Perfectly timed for the end of the fitness and the end of the time-cap, the final team returned back. 250 leaflets lighter!

Meanwhile, Maria wonderfully led the other half of the group over to Redcliffe where we were due to be helping Hotwells and Redcliffe Development Group with gardening and cleaning at Faithspace. As the cleaners got to work, the gardeners were distracted by a woman who had lost her children. With a much more important task on their hands, over the next hour the team then assisted the local community and police in delivering the children back to safety.

The groups returned to base to recount their tales and be grateful that the incident had a happy ending. Welcome to Nathalie who joined us for the first time tonight, come back for a more by-the-book GoodGym soon!

What I would like to do in this run report is put 200 variations of puns on Clo's name in to represent each of her 200th Good Deed which she achieved tonight. But then I remembered that my one title pun is questionable enough and that I couldn't subject you all to that. Instead, Clongratulations Clo, you are amazing!

It was great to welcome Johanna on her first GoodGym run tonight - thanks for joining us Johanna! The group split up to help three good causes tonight.

Group 1: The Tea Fairies

Maria led a group of runners to the centre of town to distribute tea, coffee and biscuits to homeless people. As the temperature was getting close to freezing tonight, it was very much appreciated by the recipients. So much so that the team had to go and refresh their stocks of milk and biscuits after just 10 minutes of distributing the hot drinks. Brilliant work team, you will have cheered up many a pair of cold hands tonight.

Group 2: The Puzzling Concrete Smashers

Meanwhile, at Emmaus, Xanne and Robin welcomed us and talked us through the great work of the charity. They then split the group into two. Those who were feeling intellectually charged headed to the warehouse to sort puzzles out, while those who were in need of some anger management or just plain old smashing-things-up* worked on removing the concrete from the front of Emmaus. This is part of our ongoing work to redo the front area of the building to make it a nice place for the community to spend time.

*technical term

Group 3: But what even is a plog?

The final lucky group got what some would describe as the short straw (Darren), while others would say it was the best task of them all (Shona). The group set off on a tour of four local litter spots, where they alternated between a fitness session (did someone say hills?) or litter-picking session. Clo found a new pair of glasses for Darren (photographed), Richard was temporarily misplaced on his hunt for the lost chip-tray and Paul just could not stop running up and down hills. However, we still managed to gather enough litter to stuff full one huge bag of rubbish and one huge bag of recycling for Bristol Waste to collect.

Well done again Clo on your 200 deeds!

'Twas the week before Christmas, and all down the street Not a creature was stirring, not a single pair of feet; The rain was falling so heavily there, Without a care that St. Nicholas soon would be here.

The regular runners were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of PBs danced in their heads; And while people covered up with an umbrella or cap, Getting home to settle down for a long winter's nap, When out on Queen Square there arose such a chatter, People sprang from their sofas to see what was the matter.

Away to their windows they flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen rain And covered in sogginess the streets became,

When, what to their wondering eyes should appear, But 23 GoodGymers, and one tiny hamster, 12 Days of Christmas warm-up, so lively and fun, They knew in a moment it must be GoodGym's final 2018 run.

More rapid than eagles they ran to their task, And their Trainer shouted, and called them by name; "Now, RICHARD! now, SARAH! now, GEORGIA and DEB! On, HANNAH! on PAUL! on, DARREN and FRED! To the top of East Street! and on to Monica Wills! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

And then, in a twinkling, at St Monica Trust They were prancing and pawing to sing carols enough. As our friends there shook their bells and joined in, Our voices raised to a crescendo as we all began to sing.

With Gill on the piano, (and even on the guitar) We joyfully spread the Christmas cheer far. Before too long, it was time to say goodbye, After a biscuit and cuppa with our new friends of nigh'.

We quickly jogged back through the cold winter streets, With even fewer people now to meet. As we got back to Queen Square without a dent, We realised we had not yet seen the Mane Event.

Sarah's evening was not just one of good cheer, But her 200th Good Deed (with 100 in less than a year). We shouted with glee, To see Sarah's new horse tee, Congratulations Sarah, in awe we all be!

But not only that, on this final run, Our very own Paul had gone and done, His 50th Good Deed - so kudos to Paul! Your black t-shirt is waiting and BadGym no longer calls.

And once again we congratulate Deb, Who returned to Bristol with a new crown on her head. The GoodGymer who has flown most far, an accolade dealt, Only with 47 locations until her belt.

And the group stretched off; then returned with a jerk, And hurried inside to put on some more clothes, But more importantly, and this everyone knows; They sprang to the bar, for a pint and a cake, To celebrate the achievements (and the fact they can bake).

But we heard them exclaim, as they ran out of sight, HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

Tonight, more than 40 runners turned up to find out what the mystery challenge would be in store for them... Welcome to Maddie, Katherine, Nik, David, Taj and George, who joined us for the first time.

Firstly, Sally took a small group of runners to the city centre of Bristol. There, they split into four small groups to distribute tea and coffee to homeless people around the city centre. Despite one flask mishap, the team managed to distribute four packets of biscuits alongside over twenty hot drinks on this cold winter's night. Brilliant work, team!

Meanwhile, the rest of us ran to Bedminster to start the Christmas Cheer Challenge. After each team's items were distributed, they had half an hour to get all of their good deed tasks complete. Each team had a particular area to flyer, a team photo to take, a packet of mince pies to donate to passers-by and as much litter-picking as possible along the way. Between them, they got through a whole load of flyers to help Above and Beyond advertise for this Thursday's Christmas Star Concert, gave out 24 mince pies (even if it was to pub-attendees, as one group did!), took some impressively creative team photos (evidenced above) and picked up 7 bags of litter. This included the strangest bit of the litter of the night by Richard, of a new Noah and the Whale single - only in Bristol.

Despite tough competition, Kim's team won the challenge based on the amount of litter picked (accusations were hinted at with her incredibly good local knowledge of litter hotspots) - although, in true GoodGym fashion, everyone was a winner tonight.

At least, that was the case until we returned to do the even more contested challenge of a relay contest with a carry-your-team round. Previous litter allies were eyed-up on their strength and lightness. Soon, smallest members of each group were being flung around with little care while concentration was on finishing that lap. Gary's team solidifed their win (some would say they turned a litter victory into a big victory) with their impressive piggyback technique. As everyone headed off into the night discussing the tactics of the Queen's Lift v. the Stretchered Person (ahem, Danica's team), we know it can only be a matter of time until the rematch...