Balmy Barcelona
David Cull took part in the Barcelona marathon on Sunday where the conditions were lovely, if a touch warm, but with some cloud cover half of the time. Despite a little cramp early on and recovering from a recent hip niggle, he kept up excellent pacing throughout, slowing only a little at the end to finish in a fantastic 3:00.51, an eight second PB and 197th M40. Nearly 16,000 runners completed the race.
David was happy with the PB and, in particular, going to the top (if only very temporarily) of the M40 club champs!
Granite Way
This City Community Trust organised event offers an excellent 10 or 20 mile flat, fast route along the Granite Way cycle path providing perfect pacing conditions as preparation for a spring marathon or half-marathon.
New AVR member, Harry McMahon stormed home third in the 10-mile option in a brilliant 1:0016. Ron Seward also ran well finishing 57th overall and first M70 in 1:20.50.
In the 20-mile race, Matt Frost was seventh in 2:08.02 with Laura Kerr, 45th in 2:49.14 and Angela Kerr, 97th and first F65 in 3:23.05 all looking very strong ahead of their marathons next month. The 10-mile race had 232 finishers with 136 completing the 20-mile option.
Bideford Half
On Sunday three AVRs, Diane Newton, Kathryn Thompson and Martyn Walker, joined nearly a thousand other keen runners, lining up for the start of the Bideford Half Marathon. The course started with a loop around the town of Bideford before an undulating six miles out to Torrington by road, returning back via the beautiful Tarka Trail.
Martyn Walker finished in 687th in 2:09.52; Kathryn Thompson, 898th in 2:32.20; and Diane Newton was very pleased to come in at 3:0:08, 945th, securing second F70 and a rather lovely trophy.
Seaton parkrun
Once again the cliff falls on West Walk meant a three-lap route with the addition of a tractor on the beach to navigate!
Appropriately for the day after International Women’s Day, the first three female finishers were all AVRs with Debbie Whiston first finisher in 20.46 and also first on age grade with 77%. Second female was Lucy Watkinson in 22.26 with Kerry Board third in 22.53.
Big thanks to Honiton Running Club who provided the majority of the volunteers on Saturday.
Out on the road, Sam Miller and Tony Smith completed Chippenham parkrun; Dave Hutton and Sue Chambers took part in the challenging but spectacular Woolacombe Dunes parkrun; Mark Spraggs ran Lymington Woodside and Cliff Marriott and Pam Goddard visited Clevedon Salthouse Fields parkrun near Bristol.
