A Grand Day Out
There was an impressive turnout of AVRs at the Grand Canal Canter half-marathon in Tiverton on Sunday perhaps tempted by those extra championship points on offer. The flat course is run entirely on the Grand Western canal towpath starting and finishing in Tiverton with the turnaround at Sampford Peverell.
It was a beautiful sunny morning, although still a little misty at 8am when the first race began in which Georgie Ryan took part finishing in 2:08.59, a new PB, and 75th place. The second race, at the later start of 10.45am attracted another eight AVRs with first AVR home Jason Potter in fourth place and first M35 in a PB of 1:36.11 closely followed by Simon McClellan in sixth place in 1:39:18. Luke Freathy was 12th in 1:52.01 with Jo Orsman in 29th in 2:13.35; Bob Carter, 30th in 2:15.16; Cath Brenton, 38th in 2:33.59; Shuna George, 44th in 2:48.53 and Baz Chandra, 45th in 2:48.54, running in his ever half-marathon.
The Power of Ten(s)
Matt Frost took part in the Exeter City Community Trust Halloween 10 miler. Starting in Exeter Canal Basin, the flat and fast route took runners around the scenic route of the Exe Valley River Park with a five and ten mile option available. Matt chose the ten-mile race to use it as part of a marathon training run so did a 10-mile warm up beforehand. He was then aiming to run at planned marathon pace but ended up running in his words more like “a dream marathon pace” finishing fourth in an excellent 1:01:29. A total of 116 completed the 10m option.
Jeremy and John Larcombe took on The Stickler, a challenging ten-mile race hosted by the Dorset Doddlers, now in its 29th year. It includes three of Dorset’s highest peaks with more than 1500 feet of gruelling climbing, beginning with the infamous ’Stickle Path’. Runners ascend three locally renowned peaks along the beautiful Stour Valley: Okeford Beacon, Hod Hill and Hambledon Hill. The course is mostly on gravel tracks, with some stretches on tarmac and grass.
Luckily on Sunday it was a super sunny morning with the course dry in most places. Jeremy came in 128th in 1:32:42 with John 431st in 2:09:52. More than 500 completed the race.
Marathon Eryri
Back from completing two marathons on opposite sides of the world, Angela Kerr took part in her third marathon in two months at the beautiful and scenic Marathon Eryri in Snowdonia on Saturday. The demanding and spectacular route which encircles Yr Wyddfa – the highest peak in Wales – has made this iconic route one of the most popular races in the calendar. On a beautiful sunny day in Wales, Angela finished in 5:33.44, 593rd female, enjoying the stunning scenery as well as the 2590 feet of ascent!
Turkish Delight
Ragnhild Richards completed the Kaş half marathon in Kalkan, Turkey on Sunday. It was hilly and hot so she was pleased to finish in 2:16.32, just two seconds different to last year! She was also first, of two, F60.
Halloween Fun at Haldon
It was a spooky Friday night in the Haldon Woods and Louise Rawlins, never one to shy away from a dressing up opportunity, Aaron Rawlins and their son, Marley, took part in the Halloween Twilight 5k. With ghosts, spooks and zombies to distract and scare them they finished 33rd, 34th and 35th in 36:51.
Stonebarrow 10k
It was a beautiful autumn day for the final National Trust 10k of this summer with Tony Smith, Andy West and Sarah Day taking part in the slightly shortened route due to Landgon Woods being out of use but still providing spectacular views over Golden Cap. Purely for the enjoyment of the scenery and with no times this run is held on the fourth Sunday of the month, May to October.
Seaton parkrun and beyond
Conditions were perfect again in Seaton on Saturday with AVR securing both first finisher places and first on age-grade. Ritchie Durrant, first male in 17:13 and Kerry Board, first female in 22.21. Eleanor Wood was again first on age-grade with 91% for her 23:17. Simon Dimmock was second finisher in 18:30. There were PBs for Mark Parsons in 23:41; Nicola Guppy in 29:22; Helen Boehm in 29:26 and Shirley Goy in 30:43.
Further afield Paul Johns completed Riverfront parkrun in Newport; Jeremy and Liz Slade ran Arrow Valley parkrun in Redditch; Cliff Marriott took part in Thurrock parkrun in Essex; Kevin Feeney and Sarah Shepley joined the masses at the new Battersea parkrun while Patrick Devine-Wright, Rupert Pady, Karen Eyre and Tom Parsons enjoyed the new winter route at Killerton parkrun. Meanwhile David and Susi Sadler nabbed a U at Upton House parkrun and completed their 50th different location.
