First Chance for a PB!
AVR’s female runner of 2022 along with our most-improved male and female of 2022, all started the new year where they left off. Kerry Board, Matt Frost and Suzi Blackett made the best of the fast and flat course to secure 10K PBs at the Exeter First Chance on Sunday.
Matt Frost was an excellent 31st in 37.23 in a race won in a very impressive 30.55 by Shaun Antell of Bideford AAC.
Kerry Board also picked up her trophy for winning the 2022 In Step Devon Championship and a prize for first F45 in the same champs. She also made the best possible start to this year’s Champs by finishing 149th in 44:5, second F45.
Suzi Blackett was 243rd taking two minutes off her PB to finish in 50.23. Darrell Farley was 192nd in 47:43; Cory Schultze was 281st in 52:10 and, completing the AVR line-up was Angela Kerr, returning from injury and illness, who finished in 1:06.17 (490th). A total of 565 runners completed Sunday’s event; the first in this year’s In Step Devon Championship.
Bumper AVR turnout at Axmouth Challenge
Runners at the Axmouth Challenge on Sunday faced every weather possible with rain, thunder, hail and high winds as well as mud, hills and tricky camber to test them over a choice of 9 miles, 5 miles or 3 miles.
It was a terrific win for Richard Hardy in the nine-mile event coming in magnificently under the hour in 59.34, more than a minute ahead of the second placed finisher. In third place and first M40 was Andrew Snook in 1:01.05 with Joel Seward hot on his heels in 1:01.08 to take fourth spot. Matt Orsman came in fifth in 1:03.36 to take first M45.
A brilliant fourth female, and first F65, was Eleanor Wood in 1:17.35. Ian Kinnersley (29th) was first M60 in 1:18.54.
In the five-mile event, AVR scooped second and third with Simon Dimmock in 42:21 and Tony Smith, who was also first M40, third in 44:20. Great to see a medal for a different member of the Smith family!
Other AVRs amongst the 68 finishers in the longer race were: Rupert Wiseman, 12th in 1:12.48; Adrian Strawbridge, 19th in 1:15.47; Haydn Boehm, 20th in 1:16.01; Simon Freathy, 21st in 1:17.02; Jason Potter, 23rd in 1:17.13; Andy West, 32nd in 1:19.31; Pete Hallett, 35thin 1:20.46; Mike Wadsworth, 39th in 1:23.46; Barry Follett, 41st in 1:23.56; Jeremy Larcombe, 44th in 1:25.45; Dan Clist, 47th in 1:27.55; Adele Girdwood, 52nd in 1:30.15; James Ashworth, 54th in 1:30.49; Henry Smith, 57th in 1:33.27; Ragnhild Kordt Richards, 59th in 1:34.07; Steve MacLure, 60th in 1:34.24; Julia Teague, 61st in 1:35.23; David Wayne, 62nd in 1:36.26; Vicki Wraight, 63rd in 1:38.54; Katharine Moran, 65th in 1:39.22; and John Larcombe, 66th in 1:41.31.
In the shorter race, the other AVRs were: Kevin Feeney, 14th (and first M65) in 59:48; Kelly Nickels, 17th (and first F40) in 1:01.36; Martin Chesterman, 19th in 1:01.56; Paula Cooke, 23rd in 1:03.27; Sue Chambers, 25th in 1:04.41; Carolyn Nation, 30th in 1:06.07; Roberta Wadsworth, 31st in 1:13.57; Duncan Davison, 32nd in 1:28.31 and Carly Lowe, 33rd in 1:31.04.
Elaine Chesterman was the sole AVR in the three-mile race finishing 11th in 43:48.
South-west Cross Country Champs
Also enjoying the mud after so much rain, Rik Tumber travelled to RNAS Merryfield in Somerset to take part in his first ever cross country finishing in a creditable 28.33 for the 4.1m muddy course, 101st, in a field of club and county runners from Cornwall to Gloucestershire
Handicap underway
Despite it being a wild and windy January evening some 30 members took part in the first handicap of the year with the maximum 20 points going to Heather Simmons. Dave Hutton and Sue Chambers lie second and third, respectively. Next Handicap will take place on Tuesday 7 February, 1830 hours from Seaton Cricket Club. Results can be found here Handicap monthly prizes will all be presented at the end of the year Awards Evening.
Wild and windy for parkrun
It was a wild, wet and windy first parkrun of the year in Seaton on Saturday and it was definitely not a day for fast times or PBs. Nevertheless AVR’s Emilie Brock was first female to finish in 22:50 with James Green second finisher overall in 18:29.
In the bad weather remember to always check any parkrun is on before travelling by visiting the website or social media. Most event teams aim to do a course check by 8am.
