AVRs dominate in Ottery

AVRs were out in force at the Ottery 10k on Sunday, an event organised by Honiton RC.  The team in yellow took five of the top ten finishing places and dominated the men’s podium with Rich Hardy taking first place in 34:15 followed by Joel Seward in second in 34:48 and Ryan Snell, fourth and first M40 in 36:07.  All three were on their first outings since marathons in Boston, London and Newport respectively.  There were also top ten finishes for Max Richardson in sixth in 36:27 and Matt Frost, seventh in 36:50.

On the women’s side Kerry Board was fourth female and first F45 in 46:07, with Eleanor Wood, fifth female and first F55 in 47:40.  The race was started by Jo Pavey, Olympian and European 10,000m champion, who then went on to run the race, chatting and inspiring the runners all the way round.  She also presented the prizes after the event in which 306 completed the race.

There were a host of PBs from AVRs who also all secured points for the club championship on a day when conditions were excellent.   The race started and finished at Ottery Cricket Club creating a lovely community atmosphere.  The runners then went out through Ottery town centre to the country lanes surrounding the town on an undulating route before heading back to the cricket club to finish where tea and cakes were provided by Honiton RC.

Full results.

Five in five at Bideford 10k

Five AVRs travelled up to north Devon for the highly competitive, flat, fast Bideford 10k with all securing top five age category placings.  The race, which uses the Tarka Trail cycle path from Bideford to Instow and back, was won by international steeplechaser Phil Norman in 30:07.

Karen Eyre was third F50, which should guarantee her an England Masters call-up with an excellent new PB of 43:13, 12th female.

Rob Collier was fourth M55 and 45th overall finishing in 38:19 with Rupert Pady, fifth M55, 74thoverall in 40:45.   Matt Hewer was fifth M45 and 38th overall in 37:57 with Angela Kerr, fifth F65 in 54:31.  All five were just two weeks on from competing in marathons in London and Manchester.

 

Great Bristol Half

Five AVRs took the short trip to Bristol for the AJ Bell Great Bristol Half Marathon.  The 13.1 miles takes runners from the city centre out alongside the River Avon past Clifton to Sea Mills before heading back the same way.  The finish in the city centre includes a few tight turns but provides a fantastic atmosphere for runners and spectators and overall it is a fast course although on Sunday runners faced warm and humid conditions.

With 23000 runners completing the course, first AVR home was Tom Parsons in 1:49.25 in 2405th place.  Jess Board finished with a shiny new PB of 2:09.21 which she was pleased with just two weeks after a marathon.  Roger Bramley was 6649th in 2:14.03 with Mark Day, 8230th in 2:25.28.  Diane Newton found the heat tough and finished in 3:12.19 which was third F75.

 

Plymouth half

The Plymouth Run Festival includes a half marathon and 5k.  On Sunday the Ocean City was hit with torrential rain and thunderstorms delaying the start of the 13.1m race which starts and finishes on the picturesque Hoe.  Once underway Charlotte Bailey completed her second half marathon in 2:10.01, finishing in 1979th from more than 3000 competitors.

 

Town and Gown 10k

Lee Moran took a day trip up to Oxford to run the Town and Gown 10k, which takes in many of Oxford’s historic landmarks, finishing in the University Parks. On a beautifully sunny day, with over 5000 runners taking part, Lee snuck into the first 100, finishing 99th in 39:13.

Flat but not as you know it!

On Saturday, Jeremy Slade took part in Albion Running’s West Country Ultra in Somerset.  Starting near Trull Jeremy completed the 50-mile (flat option which still has more than 2000 feet of elevation!).  Runners start with 15 pancake flat miles along the Taunton to Bridgwater canal towpath then transfer to the River Parrett Trail towards the Bristol Channel.  Then it is on to the more undulating part of the route along the coastal path via Watchet and on towards Minehead where the 50-mile option finishes.  Jeremy completed it in just over 12-hours, and although he had originally planned on carrying on to the 100 mile ultra, a knee injury curtailed him at halfway; still a magnificent achievement.

 

 

More Turkish delight!

Ann Coston and Ragnhild Richards took part in the Tahtali Run to the Sky in Turkey on Sunday.   Starting at 7am on the beach of Çıralı just west of Antalya, the finish line is on the top of the mountain of Tahtali after 27.5 km with more than 2000m of incline. Runners pass historical sites, natural wonders and stunning scenery to take their minds off the the fact that they climb the height of Ben Nevis twice!

Ragnhild finished second F50 in 6 hours, 21 minutes with Ann third F50 in 7:20.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

Another fabulous sunny Saturday for Seaton parkrun saw 257 finishers with AVR’s Debbie Whiston second female in 20:53 and second on age-grade with 78%.  There was yet another PB for Ann-Louise Childe in 27:07.

Big congratulations to Tim Sibley who celebrated the magnificent 250 event milestone.  Also to Pete Heal who achieved his 250th volunteer milestone.

Further afield, Tony Smith and Sam Miller completed Upton House parkrun in Dorset; Eddie Prior ran Rugby parkrun; Anthony and Adrianne Mullins took part in Torbay Velopark parkrun; Tom Parsons was on route to the Bristol half so took in Sharpham Road Playing Fields parkrun in Cheddar and Criag Tiley ran Seven Fields parkrun in Swindon.

 

Bostin’ Birmingham

Carol Austin and Carolyn Nation travelled to the midlands for the Great Birmingham Run, which started in Centenary Square outside the International Convention Centre and finished in the city centre near Grand Central Station attracting more than 16000 runners to the half marathon and 10k races.  Both AVRs took part in the 10k option which also took in the Jewellery Quarter and Mailbox on route.

Carol Austin finished in 47:03, first F60, 66th female and 420th overall; which should secure an England masters qualification for 2025/6.   Carolyn Nation finished in 1:04.32, 2852nd overall, knocking a minute off her PB.

Seven AVRs go wild in the country

The East Devon Round is a trail running festival organised by Ruby Red Running during the bank holiday weekend.  Taking place across the stunning countryside of East Devon, there are five events on offer across three National Landscapes, one World Heritage Site and the world famous Jurassic Coast.  The races all began at dawn on Saturday with the full East Devon Round of approx. 65 miles including more than 10,000 miles of elevation the longest event.  Two Half Rounds of 35 miles and 31 miles and a quarter round of 15 miles are also on offer all with a lot of climbs but spectacular scenery for the runners who all self-navigate the route.

Lewis Brown,  finishing in 17:09, was amongst just 38 who completed the full Round. Tim Sibley completed the “Tim Howarth cut-off” which is just 21k short of the total Round.  Helen Holmes and Emma Richardson ran together to finish joint 22nd in 10:40 in the Half Round and Steve MacLure, also completed the Half with his two children joining him for the last few miles.  James Hawker was third of the seven who completed “the other Half” in 7:12, open only to runners who have ran the first Half in previous years!  In the Quarter event Cliff Marriott finished tenth of the 24 finishers in 3:29.

AVR also provided an aid station in Colyton throughout the day on Saturday so big thanks go to Rob Collier and team for organising this, to Ruby Red Running for another brilliant event and to those AVRs who ran sections to support those taking part.

Turkish Delight

Raghnild Richards completed a short version of the Babadağ Ultra
in Turkey as preparation for an upcoming ultra.

The 14k race included some 600m on very rocky, steep trails with fabulous views of the Turquoise Coast but making it a very technical race to navigate.   Raghnild finished first woman 60+, with a better time than the men in the same age category, in 2:15 despite suffering a fall.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

There were many London, Boston and Manchester marathon T shirts on show at Seaton parkrun on Saturday with AVR’s Rich Hardy and Debbie Whiston as first finishers in 17:00 and 20:26 respectively.  Ryan Snell was second male in 18:10 with Eleanor Wood third woman and first on age-grade with an incredible 92% for her 23:21. There were PBs for Ann-Louise Childe in 27:08; Cath Brenton in 28:12; and Margaret Bargmann in 36:21.

Further afield Tom Parsons ran Haldon Forest parkrun; John Whitaker took part in Heaton parkrun; Andy West completed Newport parkrun; Becky Eastburn enjoyed Eden Project parkrun; and Tony Smith ran Sandhurst Memorial parkrun.  Carol Austin and Carolyn Nation, in Birmingham for the Great Run, took part in Cannon Hill parkrun while Helen Boehm completed her tourist streak at St Mary’s parkrun joined by Sam Tooze and Tracy Chapman.

 

Hot stuff in London and Manchester

AVRs were well represented in both the big marathons this weekend although the heat took its toll with many of the times.

In London an incredible 17 AVRs completed the 45th edition of the famous TCS London Marathon.  There was an outstanding performance from in-form Joel Seward who, despite the heat, managed a 13 second PB to finish in 2:35.43, 395th in a race that saw more than 55,000 compete.

Debbie Whiston finished in a brilliant 3:08.28, just a minute slower than last year, and 40thF45.  Meanwhile Karen Eyre scooped a PB to finish in a superb 3:31.03, 84th F50.  In her sixteenth London Marathon, Angela Kerr finished in 4:59.25, 87th F65.

As well as the experienced runners there were several AVRs making their London debut and some also their marathon debut with many raising huge funds for charity.  Special mention to James Ashforth who ran the entire 26.2 miles dressed as a robin to raise money for Tommy’s the pregnancy and baby loss charity.  The conditions were really not conducive to fancy dress yesterday so his 4:49.57 finishing time was remarkable.

Well done to all AVRs who completed the 26.2 miles of the streets of London and all contributed to it becoming the world’s biggest ever marathon.

Other AVR finishers:  Suzi Blackett (4:44.19); Kerry Board (3:34.56); Haydn Boehm (4:44.19); Diana Burn (6:02.25); Mark Harding-Perrott (5:13.22); Matt Hewer (3:09.31); Richard Jackson (4:44.51); Ian Kinnersley (3:33.48); Rupert Pady (3:13.47); Aaron Rawlins (4:18.19); Louise Rawlins (5:42.04); and Susan Wall (6:21.21).

Away from the Capital, four AVRs completed the virtual London Marathon running in various country and riverside lanes of Devon.  Jess Board ran her first marathon while her mum, Kerry Board, was running in London itself! She ran from Exmouth and back from the quay in Exeter, and was delighted with 4:31:47.  The other AVRs completing the virtual event were Mark Day (5:26.41); Alan Hornibrook (3:53.47); and Kelly Nickels (5:25.49).

Eight master Manchester

Further north the heat was also a factor as 36000 took part in the Adidas Manchester Marathon with eight AVRs completing the race which starts and finishes near the Old Trafford Stadium in Salford with runners heading out to Altrincham on a predominantly flat course.

First AVR home was Duncan Staddon, who overcame injury to get on the start line, completing it in 2:51.22 and 13th M45.  Rob Collier had an excellent race to finish seventh M55 in 2:58.22. Completing her first ever marathon Adele Girdwood paced it perfectly to finish in 4:21.58, 25thF60.

Well done to Matt Frost who after completing Boston marathon less than a week ago supported some friends through this one to finish in 3:25.09.  Jason Potter (3:58.43) and Jo Orsman (5:14.48) made it a family affair with Wayne Tooze (4:10.14) and Jacqui Stokes (4:58.11) completing the AVR finisher list.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

Conditions were good on Saturday despite the early showers for Seaton parkrun with 231 finishers.  First finisher was Ritchie Durrant in 17:21.  AVR dominated the age grade positions this week with Ron Seward, 81% for his 22:51 top of the league followed by brother and sister, Graham Newton, also celebrating his 50th parkrun in 24:00, 80% and Janet Cullum, 29:58 for 78%.  Mike Wadsworth, 77% for his 21:56 and Fiona Seward, 76% for 29.14 completed the top-five!

There was a host of PBs for AVRs on a wind-free morning: Mark parsons, 22:23; Lee Brooker, 23:54; Matt Chenery, 25:03; Ann-Louise Childe, 27:16; Paula Hutchings, 30:01; Lara Rowe, 30:08; and Lily Sibley, 33:12.

Out and about Max Richardson took the first finisher spot at Millennium Country parkrun, Forest of Marston Vale in 17:58 with Erin Ellis also getting a great sub-25 PB while Jon and Gill Day took part in Bideford parkrun; Carol Austin enjoyed the picturesque Plymvalley parkrun even in the rain; Alan Morbey ran Poole parkrun and Gavin Smillie took part in Marine Parade parkrun.  Many of the marathoners took part in parkrun events in London, Manchester or on route, a perfect 5k shake-out before the big day.

 

And finally …

Jake Smith made a brilliant return to elite marathon running following his recovery from RED-S taking a superb fourth British spot at the London Marathon in 2:11.56, 16th overall.

Ferocious Fast Friday

The City Runs organised Fast Friday 10k lived up to its name despite the most challenging of weather with runners facing a wicked headwind for two miles on each lap and torrential rain throughout most of the second half of the race.

There were excellent performances from the seven AVRs who competed in the Good Friday event on Exeter riverside.

In fourth place in a magnificent PB was Joel Seward in 33:36 who also scooped the M35 winner’s prize.  Max Richardson stormed home in 21st in a massive PB of 35:21 with Matt Hewer in 31st in 36:57 and third M35.  Both Tony Smith and Carol Austin won their age categories with 41:28, first M55, and 48:06, first F60 respectively.  Angela Kerr was second F65 in 55:26 and Georgie Ryan secured a PB with her 58:45.  Full results

 

Boston Baby

Rich Hardy and Matt Frost completed the Bank of America Boston Marathon on the 129thrunning of the famous 26.2m event held on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April.   The race is the only marathon major that requires qualification so the standard is always remarkably high.

Just a week after setting a brilliant PB (2:36.02) at Newport marathon, Rich Hardy ran another superb time finishing in 2:41.26, 890th and 95th M40.  Matt Frost finished in an excellent 2:51.43, 2440th place.  More than 30,000 completed the marathon with John Korir of Kenya taking the  win, despite a fall near the start, in 2:04.45 with Sharon Lokedi, also of Kenya, taking the women’s crown in a course record of 2:17.22.

 

Bank Holiday bonanza

With club challenge points up for grabs and conditions perfect on Easter Monday some 66 runners took part in AVR’s Bank Holiday 10k time trial.  There were (unofficial) PBs galore, camaraderie and some completing their first ever 10k as well as some fast times securing the Club Challenge points.  Full results.

 

Seaton parkrun and beyond

For once the sun wasn’t playing on Saturday morning but the wet and windy weather did not stop 381 parkrunners starting the weekend off with a 5k run.  Second finisher was Andrew Snook in 18:29 and Eleanor Wood was second on age-grade with 90.1% for her 23:41.

Big thanks and congratulations to Ron Seward who celebrated his 100-volunteer milestone on Saturday.

In the States, Matt Frost secured a J at Jamaica Pond parkrun in Boston prior to the marathon.  In Europe Debbie Whiston was second woman in Oberwald parkrun in Germany in 20:42. Closer to home, Sam Halls and Rob Collier ran Cardiff parkrun; Helen Boehm took part in Upton House parkrun in Poole; Rupert Pady completed Tilgate parkrun while Lee Brooker enjoyed Simmons parkrun.

 And finally …

Best of luck to all those running the London and Manchester marathons next weekend.  Enjoy the experience!

Welsh magic for AVRs in Newport

 Three AVRs popped over the border to Wales on Sunday to take part in the ABP Newport Marathon Festival.  The Festival provides opportunities for a 10K, half and a full marathon on one of the flattest courses available whilst taking in the stunning scenery of the Gwent Levels, coastal wildlife and picturesque medieval Welsh villages.  With conditions also good on the day all events saw some fast results posted and new course records in the women’s marathon, men’s and women’s half marathon and women’s 10k.

Rich Hardy and Ryan Snell opted for the full marathon with both achieving excellent results. Rich Hardy came in tenth in a brilliant PB of 2:36.02 which he hopes will have earned him a London championship place for next year.  Ryan Snell was 26th, a superb first M45, in 2:40.15 which he was delighted with after injury forced him out in Valencia in December.  Nearly 3000 completed the 26.2 mile event.

In the half marathon Matt Frost, using it as a final long training run before Boston marathon, finished in 1:27.06, 55th place with 1600 completing the race.

 

Summer up and running in Yeovilton

The Yeovilton 5k summer series takes place every second Wednesday of the month from April to September and this year forms part of AVR’s club challenge.  With conditions good this week, nine AVRs took part in the first event with some excellent results.  The race begins and ends at RNAS Yeovilton and is a fast flat route on country lanes.

First AVR home in an excellent 12th place and in a shiny new PB was Max Richardson in 17:03 followed by Matt Frost in 18th in 17:28, also a PB.  Tony Smith in 49th in 19:21 and Carol Austin in 102nd in 23:26 both secured their best 5k times for many years.  Matt Chenery in 119th in 24:19 also nabbed a PB while Angela Kerr  was 143rd in 27:21, first F65.  David Cull came in 36th in 18:43 with Jason Potter 55th in 19:40 and Sam Miller, back from a long injury, 148th in 28:35.

Bath to Bristol by foot!

Why take the train when you can run it?  The Bath and Bristol Railway series follow the route of the original train line from Green Park Station in Bath to Bristol Temple Meads.  There are 50k, marathon, 25k and half marathon options with all routes flat and fast with historic and active nods to the route’s heritage along the way.  Running alongside the Avon Valley Railway runners also pass many restored signal boxes.

AVR’s Karen Eyre and Jacqui Stokes opted for the 25k race with Karen Eyre taking first F50 in 2:12.25, 34th overall, and Jacqui Stokes, 61st, third F40 in 2:21.25 with 135 completing the 25k option. The events are very well organised by Relish Running Races but be prepared for tunnels, tarmac and flat running.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

It was a chilly start to Saturday but the sun again shone for Seaton parkrun and for Joel Seward who stormed to a PB in 16:34, second finisher.  Third female was Karen Eyre in 21:14 and second on age-grade with 83%.  With good conditions there were a host of PBs with Simon McClellan breaking the sub-20 barrier to finish in 19:54; Lee Brooker in 24:00; Ann-Louise Childe in 27:18 and Lily Sibley, celebrating her birthday with a PB of 34:02.

On the road David Cooke took part in Sale Water parkrun in Manchester; Craig Tiley enjoyed Woolacombe Dunes parkrun while Jon and Gill Day tackled the challenging Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun.  Rupert Pady was an excellent fourth finisher at Uckfield parkrun in East Sussex; Liz Curling took part in Carlingwark Loch parkrun in Scotland with Vicki Wraight visited Greendale Farm Shop parkrun.

 

Record breaker!

It has yet to be ratified but AVR’s James Ashforth, aka Rusty the robin, set a new world record for the fastest half marathon dressed as a bird in London on Sunday.

The London Landmarks Half Marathon was a warm-up race for the big Guinness World Record attempt at the London Marathon later this month.  Unfortunately due to a medical incident Sunday’s race was 700m short of the 13.1 miles, half-marathon distance so James is awaiting confirmation that his 1:54.28 stands.  Both races are part of a challenge to raise money for Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity which is very close to James’ heart. Read his story and donate here.

The race is run around Westminster and the city of London featuring landmarks such as the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge with nearly 20,000 finishers.

River Deep Mountains High

With many AVRs focussing on Spring road marathons there were fewer than usual taking part in JP’s Exe to the Axe, a challenging 22 mile race from the mouth of the Exe in Exmouth to the mouth of the Axe in Seaton.  The route provides runners with many hills to climb and descend but also some stunning views of the Jurassic Coast as they meander along the South West Coast Path through Budleigh, Sidmouth, Weston, Branscombe and Beer before reaching the seafront in Seaton where, for the first time, runners had to finish on the pebble beach!  It was a beautiful sunny day and as well as the 22-mile option, there were relay and 11-mile Exe to the Sid or Sid to the Axe races also on offer.

Ed Bower was first AVR home in tenth in 3:24.16 with Tim Lenton on his tail in 11th and first M50 in 3:24.31.  Sue Hayes, running with son, Will, was first F50 in 4:08.21 with Eleanor Wood, first F60 in 4:13.15.  The latter three were awarded with beautiful slate clocks for their age group wins.

In the relay option, Kevin Feeney and Ron Seward took the crown in the male category finishing in 4:37.06.

In the Sid to the Axe, definitely the harder of the two shorter options, Richard Coffey was fifth in 2:36.50 despite a slight detour costing him an extra mile.

Full results 

A special mention to Jeremy Slade who decided to do a training run in the opposite direction but not content with the Axe to the Exe he then added the Exe to the Sid on as well, some 35 miles in total!

 

Powering it in Powderham

Four AVRs took part in the Power Run at Powderham Castle near Exeter on Saturday.  There were five and 10-mile races available around the magnificent private estate of the historic castle.  The multi-terrain route takes runners past the stunning Belvedere Tower, around the American Gardens, Deer Park and Old Plantation.

In the 10-mile race Cath Brenton finished 99th in 1:52.55 with Rachel Hiscock 108th in 1:58.45 while in the five-mile race Fiona Seward was 56th in 53:59 and first F70 with Shirley Salter 84thin 58:20.  Both races, organised by City Runs, attracted 125 runners.

Ilminster 10k

This well organised race in South Somerset is in aid of the Ferne Animal Sanctuary.  It is a scenic but undulating course with the backdrop of the Dillington Estate and finishing through the historic Ilminster Town Square.

Five AVRs took part with first home Gavin Smillie in 46th in 47:22; followed by Cliff Marriott in 139th in 58:25; James Childe in 152nd in 1:00.05 then Ann-Louise Childe in 1:01.44; and Jools Elsom in 199th in 1:07.02.

The 238 finishers all received excellent goody bags and even a bottle of local cider for their efforts.

 

Seaton parkrun and beyond

The sun shone as always on Saturday for Seaton parkrun with both first finishers coming from AVR.  Rich Hardy set a new PB, and the second fastest ever Seaton parkrun from an AVR, with his blistering 16:27 which was also second on age-grade with 84%.  Debbie Whiston, first female, finished in 20:23. Joel Seward was second finisher in 16:43.  There were also PBs for Ann-Louise Childe in 27:26 and James Childe in 28:42.

Out and about Tom Parsons enjoyed Higginson parkrun in Marlow; Tony Smith and Sam Miller secured a U for a second alphabet at Upton Court parkrun near Windsor;  Tim and Amie Sibley, closing in on their alphabet took part in Vogrie parkrun in Scotland;  James Ashforth enjoyed a shake-out at Hackney Marshes parkrun before the London half marathon; Simon Dimmock ran Hogmoor Inclosure parkrun; Jon and Gill Day spun round the curly-wurly of Somerdale parkrun; while Sam Halls and friends enjoyed her birthday run at Greendale Farm Shop parkrun where the mud is currently dry!

 

And finally …

Following her excellent pacing at Seaton parkrun on Saturday, Innes Fitzgerald celebrated her birthday yesterday by smashing the European Junior 5k record to win the Bristol Track Club 5k

Ax Minster means business

After a gap of five years the Minster Challenge returned on Saturday with Axe Valley Runners dominating both podiums in the 12k multi-terrain race.  Rich Hardy in 48:32 and Karen Eyre in 1:01.30 were the winners with AVR also taking the first seven male spots and five out of seven of the first female finishes.

It is a very challenging route, starting and finishing in Axminster, which then meanders out of the town into the beautiful surrounding countryside with climbs up Stammery Hill and Lodge Lane and a return via the aptly named Evil Lane! Despite the beautiful weather on the day runners faced a lot of mud, camber and flint underfoot.

Completing the men’s podium were Max Richardson, second in 49:04 and James Green, third in 49:35.  AVR also had almost a clean sweep of the men’s age group crowns with Rich Hardy, also first M40; Ryan Snell first M45 in 51:20; Richard Jackson, first M50 in 1:05.14; Rob Collier first M55 in 53:00; Ian Kinnersley first M60 in 1:04.59; Mike Wadsworth first M65 in 1:05.03 and Kevin Feeney first M70 in 1:20.45.

On the women’s side, Kerry Board was third in 1:03.47 with Eleanor Wood fifth and first F65 in 1:07.54.  Other age group winners were Karen Eyre, first F50; Jacqui Stokes first F45 in 1:10.06; Sarah Coates first F35 in 1:10.36; Ann Coston first F55 in 1:16.56; and Ragnhild Richards first F60 in 1:17.00.

Big thanks go to Ruby Red Running for reviving the event, Axe Valley Academy for hosting and AVR for providing the MC, Haydn Boehm.  There were 87 finishers in the 12k race with 5k and children’s races also available. For the AVRs the race formed part of this year’s club challenge.  Full results.

Yeovil Half and 10k

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning for the Yeovil Half Marathon and 10k which both start and finish in the centre of the Somerset town.  Five AVRs popped over the border to take part.  The routes are tough and undulating on country lanes surrounding Montacute House, the beautiful NT mansion house adjacent to Ham Hill.

In the 13.1 miler, Joel Seward came in a fantastic fourth place, nabbing a PB, of 1:14.57 which sets him up very well for the London Marathon in four weeks.  Matt Hewer, also with eyes on the Capital’s big race, was 20th and second M45 in 1:20.51.  Simon McClennan ran an excellent 1:32.47 to finish 93rd and secure himself a PB.  Ron Seward finished in 1:53.16, fourth M70.

Meanwhile in the 10k Fiona Seward finished in 1:01.13 and third F70.

 

Coastal Splendour

Cathy Brenton took part in the Total Coastal Half Marathon on Saturday with a finishing time of 3:26:43 for the tough 13.1 miles of the South West Coast Path between Torquay and Shaldon.

The race started at Preston Green, then meandered through Torquay, onto the SWCP towards Babbacombe so the views were stunning but the terrain very challenging.  The weather was perfect and helped especially with the last three hardest and toughest miles into Shaldon. Cathy, who finished in 60th from the 85 who took part, describes it as a great event with a generous cut-off and well organised by Winding Paths.

Not contend with 13.1 miles, James Hawker and Patrick Rosello took part in the ultra, 50k event which started in Kingswear, also following the Coast Path through Brixham and Paignton before joining the half marathon route to finish in Shaldon.  Patrick was 45th in 7:14.43 with James 57th in 7:47.51 with 116 completing the longer race.

Gloucester Half

Matt Frost completed the Gloucester Half Marathon in 1:20.30, 38th place in the event which starts and finishes in Gloucester Park in the cathedral city.  More than 1700 took part in the race with the route taking runners around the city centre passing the cathedral before heading out on closed roads and the canal towpath.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

It was another sunny day in Seaton with 223 finishers at the parkrun.   AVR’s Debbie Whiston was first female finisher in 21:00 and second on age-grade with 77% despite using it as part of a three-hour marathon training run. Lily Sibley nabbed another PB of 34.03.

Out and about Tom Parsons enjoyed Chippenham parkrun; Cliff Marriott and Pam Goddard completed Frimley Lodge parkrun; Craig Tiley took part in Lydiard parkrun while Sean Vinnicombe enjoyed the beautiful but challenging Lanhydrock parkrun in Cornwall and John Whittaker ran Exeter Riverside parkrun.  Sam Miller and Tony Smith completed the stunning Mount Edgcumbe parkrun, surely in everyone’s top three events.

 

And finally …

Jake Smith and friends gave the Derry City parkrun team a bit of a surprise with seven of them breaking 17 minutes and Jake taking almost a minute off the course record with his finish time of 14:17.   The group were visting as part of a Stag weekend – definitely not your average stag party!  More info:  Fast Running 

AVRs racing far and wide

It was a bumper racing weekend for AVR members with road and trail, competitive and friendly events across the country, many in preparation for marathons while others targeting national honours.

British champs success for the Newtons

Graham and Diane Newton ran the Forest of Dean Spring Trails Half Marathon. The course undulates along a course of forest trails through the heart of the Forest of Dean. More than 1,000 runners took part and were lulled into a false sense of ease on the long downhill start, only to work their way back up the 750 feet of elevation to get back to the finish line. Graham had a brilliant run, coming in second M75 in 1:54:33 to take the British Trail Running Championship silver medal. Diane was very pleased to finish third  F75 in 3:09:09.

Flat Fens prove a challenge

With England Masters places at stake it was a stacked field at the Keith Hall Memorial 10k in Thorney with former international, Gemma Steel taking second place in the female race. Angela Kerr and Carol Austin travelled up to the flat, Fenland race which left the village on an out and back route on closed country roads.  After the turn at 5k runners faced a wicked headwind back into the village.

Carol finished in 47:54, 46th female and seventh F60, with Angela, 80th female and sixth F65 in 55:10.  The race was celebrating the 40th anniversary of Thorney Running Club and also celebrated the life of its chairman, Keith Hall.  There were 333 competitors.

A right royal half

A trio of AVRs took part in the Green Park Reading Half Marathon, a popular pre-London marathon race.  The fast scenic course finishes in the Reading FC stadium, home to the Royals, where a big crowd awaited the runners; including AVR’s very own Reading fan, Tony Smith!

Andy Charrington finished in 1:42.53, 1217th, seventh M65.  Haydn Boeham and Suzi Blackett finished in 1:58.28 in 2872nd and 2873rd.

 

Feighan Fury

South West Road Runners organise this ten mile event in memory of Mike Feighan, a much loved former winner of the Grizzly who tragically passed away in 2021.  The ten-mile event is a challenging, multi terrain race across the rolling hills of mid-Devon including hills, woods, trails and rivers.  AVR’s Eleanor Wood was first F60 in 1:37.55; Jeremy Larcombe finished in 1:30.36 with Alan Morbey coming home in 1:53.54.

   

Birthday celebration in Eastleigh

Ryan Snell celebrated both his birthday and a return to racing following injury at the Valencia marathon in December by taking part in the fast, flat Eastleigh 10k in Hampshire.  He finished first M45 and 55 in an excellent 35:38 in a race which attracted 2500 runners.

Oakley 20 revives Grizzly memories

Diana Burn completed the Oakley 20 mile undulating road race in 4:09 in preparation for her London marathon next month.  She was second F70.  She describes it as a very friendly race organised by Bedford Harriers,  many of whom had run the Grizzly earlier this month. She received lots of shouts of ‘the home of the Grizzly’; ‘we love Seaton’ and ‘we were there two weeks ago’ as she ran in her AVR top!. She used this as a good excuse to stop and chat at water stations! This year 50 Bedford Harriers came down for the Grizzly weekend.

 

Thames Trail

The Windsor Trail half Marathon is a guided tour of a race beginning at the foot of Windsor Castle and meandering along the River Thames passing the Royal Windsor racecourse and Dorney Lake, the summer Olympic venue for rowing and kayaking, and the spires of Eton College before heading back to finish just before the gates of Windsor Castle.  AVR’s Ian Kinnersley finished an impressive seventh in 1:43.11 and first M60, a great pre-London Marathon work out.  There were 126 finishers.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

There was a special guest at Seaton parkrun on Saturday with AVR’s James Ashforth running as a robin in preparation for his Guinness World Record attempt taking place at the London Marathon next month where he hopes to become the fastest ever marathon runner dressed as a bird.  He is running for Tommy’s following personal experiences of baby loss this is a charity close to his heart and many others at AVR.  Details and donations can be made here

First finisher on Saturday was Ritchie Durrant in 17:26 with Ann-Louise Childe bagged another PB in 28:14.

Out on the road Kevin Feeney and Sarah Shepley enjoyed the sunshine in Vienna at Donaupark parkrun; Tony Smith took part in Richmond parkrun; Tim and Amie Sibley bagged a D for their parkrun alphabet in at Dudley parkrun; Carolyn Nation ran the flat, fast Walsall Arboretum parkrun; Jon Day and Paul Johns completed Barnstable parkrun; and Shirley and Andy Goy took on the new Greendale Farm Shop parkrun.  Prior to their races on Sunday, Diana Burn completed Milton Keynes parkrun and carol Austin and Angela and Martin Kerr ran March parkrun.

And finally …

Spare a thought for Simon Davey who travelled back from Vietnam for the Hastings half marathon only to find it cancelled due to a police incident.

It’s a weekend of three halves!

With Spring marathon training in full swing, this weekend is a popular one for a half-marathon race tester.  AVRs competed over the 13.1-mile distance in events in Bath, Fleet and Weymouth.

In Bath the race attracted a top-class field as it was a qualifier for the British team at the World Road Racing Championships taking place in September.  It was won by former AVR, Jake Smith in a brilliant 1:02.20 meaning he is guaranteed a spot in the team if he can shave 20 seconds off that time at another half-marathon before the selection in mid-May.  After two years of battling injury and RED-S it is fantastic to see Jake again competing at the very top.

Also back from injury, Duncan Staddon had a fine race finishing in 146th place in 1:18.31 and an impressive third M45.  Heather Simmons finished in 2:13.51.  More than 11000 completed the race in the beautiful regency city.

The Fleet half marathon also saw a competitive field with England Masters selection up for grabs.  Debbie Whiston, using the race as part of her training preparations for London, finished in 1:26.44, 33rd female and ninth F45.

Meanwhile just down the road in Dorset, Diana Burn, also in London marathon training, used the Weymouth half-marathon as a slow training run finishing in 2:31 and second F70.

Nantwich 10k

Ron and Fiona Seward travelled up to Cheshire to run the Nantwich 10k, a fast and flat race on closed country lanes in the picturesque Cheshire countryside.  It was a very cold, but sunny morning for the nearly 1750 runners.  Fiona completed the course in 59:39 to be the first F70 in 1235th place while Ron finished in an excellent 46:27 for 338th and second M70 from an amazing 13 in that age bracket.

Seaton parkrun and beyond

It was a cold, sunny morning for Seaton parkrun with our friends at Honiton RC providing the majority of the volunteers as part of a “takeover” day.  AVR’s Karen Eyre was first female and first on age-grade in 21:19 and 82.7%.  First finisher was Joel Seward in 18:01 with Tony Smith, Seaton parkrun’s co-Event Director finishing in an excellent sub-20, 19:57 and third on age-grade 77.7%.  As well as Tony there were PBs for Ann-Louise Childe in 28:18 and James Childe in 28:55.

Away from Seaton, Carol Austin completed Donaupark parkrun in Vienna, her 70th different venue and tenth different country.  Closer to home Tom Parsons, Gill Day, Rachel Hiscock, Denise Burges and Shirley Salter took part in Greendale Farm Shop parkrun, mercifully dry for a change.  Elsewhere, Pam Goddard ran Woodley parkrun in Reading; Shaun Vinnicombe completed Hove Promenade; Paul Johns ran Shepton Mallet parkrun; Mark Spraggs enjoyed Lymington Woodside and Tim and Amie Sibley took part in Porthcawl parkrun.

And finally

Following her debut for the senior GB team at the European Athletics Indoor Championships, Innes Fitzgerald has been selected for the World Athletics Championships in Nanjing which take place next weekend.

Sunshine brings fast times and crowds out in Seaton

Grizzly 2025 – Who let the bogs out?

Some 2000 runners completed the Grizzly and Cub races on Sunday in the glorious Spring sunshine with Ceri Rees and Alice Kelly coming out victorious in the 20-mile race and Robin Dafforn and Sarah McDade winning the 9-mile Cub.

In the Grizzly, Ceri Rees led from the start finishing in an excellent 2:22.02 adding to his five previous Grizzly crowns.  Last year’s winner, Exmouth Harriers’ Sam Kelly had to settle for second in 2:23.13.  South West Vets, Shaun Dixon was third in 2:24.43.  AVR’s Rich Hardy was an excellent sixth in 2:31.42 and third M40.  Other AVRs to take category podium spots were: Joel Seward, first M35 in 2:31.59; Matt Clist first M45 in 2:33.24 just ahead of Matt Hewer in 2:42.02, second M45.  Tim Lenton was second M50 in 2:50.41 with Patrick Devine-Wright second M55 in 2:45.34 and Rob Collier third M55 in 2:51.19.  Steve Lewis was third M70 in 4:54.56.

In the women’s race, last year’s runner-up Alice Kelly of Exmouth Harriers went one better sealing victory in 2:51.35 a full six minutes ahead of Fleur Dodwell who took second place in 2:57.53 and Hannah Darcy of Marlow Striders, third in 3:05.32.  First female AVR was Karen Eyre in a brilliant 3:26.56, also first F50.  Eleanor Wood was second F60 in 3:46.39.

Despite taking a slight wrong turn in Beer, 18-year old, Robin Dafforn of Exeter Harriers won the Cub race comfortably in 1:05.01.  Daniel Kariaskou of Bedford Harriers took second place in 1:06.11 with Mike Cowell from Cheddar third in 1:07.01.  Fifth place and first AVR was Simon Dimmock in 1:11.39. Chris Rathbone was seventh and first M50 in 1:15.13.  Graham Newton in 1:31.50 and Ron Seward in 1:33.37 were first and second M70.

The women’s Cub race was won by Sarah McDade of Reading Road Runners in 1:18.07, well clear of second placed, Grace McMahon who finished in 1:21.22 and Sarah Trim of Yeovil Town third in 1:23.11.  AVR’s Sue Hayes finished in 1:26.23 to win the first AVR plate and first F50.  Lou Tucker was second F45 in 1:34.03 while Adele Girdwood was second F60 in 1:46.58 and Janet Cullum was third F70 in 2:12.57.

Results

Congratulations to all finishers in both the Grizzly and Cub races.  The biggest shout-outs must go to Race Directors, Andy West and Steve Haines and all their wonderful team of helpers who have worked hard over many months as well as this weekend to put on such a brilliant and successful event; even booking the dry spell in the lead up and sunshine on the day!

More than 300 children  took part in the GrizFest races on Saturday with a Junior Grizzly, Junior Cub and a Fun Run for different ages available all organised by AVR’s Karen Eyre and a huge team of helpers.  A great atmosphere and brilliant to see so many potential future AVR and Grizzly runners.

The Grizzly is made possible by the sponsors, East Devon Physical Therapy who also provided much needed massages to runners at the end and raised an impressive £600 for Devon Air Ambulance; Lyme Bay Winery; and Quicks Engineering (SW) Ltd, Kilmington who provided the prizes.  Also thanks to Seaton Fire Service for their usual hose down of the muddy runners and photo-fit.com for the official photos.

As ever, the runners were entertained all the way round by musicians creating a fantastic atmosphere amongst the competitors and spectators alike.

Seaton parkrun

It was a Grizzly themed parkrun on Saturday with a huge number of tourists amongst the 434 finishers and the big team of volunteers.   Many were sporting Grizzly T-shirts from yesteryear.  A few Grizzly bears were also spotted!

First female finisher was Debbie Whiston in 20:22, also second on age-grade in 79.54%. Carol Austin celebrated her 300th parkrun taking the third age-grade spot with 79.5%. for her 25:07.  Katharine Moran achieved a triple whammy of 100 parkruns; 50 volunteer stints and her first non-stop 5k since a bad accident last year.

And finally

At the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Holland, Innes Fitzgerald took eighth spot in the 3000m.  In a very competitive field she finished in 8:57.00; a brilliant result for her first senior GB appearance.