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Magnificent Mendips

What better way to end a late summer sunny Saturday than with a visit to the beach. Most of us wouldn’t run 30 miles first but Tim and Amie Sibley along with Jeremy Slade chose to run the Mendip Marauder 30 Miler.  The run starts in Wells in Somerset and follows the West Mendip Way up and over the Mendip hills (more than once) before finishing on the beach at Uphill Sands. They endured the brutal hills and enjoyed the wonderful views before finishing on the beach in around 8hrs 26 minutes.  A great day out and a rather impressive well-deserved medal.

Blistering Bridgewater

A handful of AVRs ventured to Bridgwater on a very hot Sunday with half-marathon and 10k races available.  Both the half marathon and 10k were really flat and fast, but the 11 am start meant the runners got the full blast of the late summer high temperatures.

In the half marathon, Ryan Snell finished 10th and third M40 in 1:19:36; Alan Hornibrook, celebrated the birth of his first grandchild, was 75th in 1:41:05, third M60; Jacqui Stokes was 196th in 2:06:48 and Adele Girdwood finished 200th in 2:07:25, fourth F50 with 346 completing the course.

Fiona and Ron Seward opted for the 10k. Ron was 39th in 47:06, whilst Fiona finished in 1:03:28, 134th with 209 taking part.

Boiling Big Half

In a race that saw Mo Farah make his final appearance racing in his home city of  London, Duncan Staddon and Rob Collier both impressed with their times of 1:16.55 and 1:22.23 respectively.  Despite the 8.30am start it was already hot as the 15000 competitors ran the 13.1 miles from Shadwell along the Thames to Canary Wharf then crossing the river at Tower Bridge, enjoying the spectacular views of the Cutty Sark just before the finish in Greenwich.

Duncan was 196th and 11th M40 with Rob 468th, 12th M50.  The race represented the British Championships for the half marathon distance so there were quality fields across the board.   Jack Rowe took the victory in 1:01.08 with Cali Thackery the female crown finishing in 1:09.15.

Woodbury Trail 10k

This new race, organised by Budleigh Salterton Lions Club, was supported by four AVRs as Cliff Marriott; Aaron and Louise Rawlins; and Darrell Farley enjoyed the tough off road terrain in the boiling hot sunshine on Woodbury Common.  First AVR home was Aaron in 55:43, 24th place, with Darrell 56th in 1:07.05; Cliff 73rd in 1:10.22 and Louise, struggling with injury but still taking ten minutes off last year’s time, was 99th in 1:15.41.

Inter-Services Success

Last Wednesday Debbie Whiston represented the Army at the Inter-Service 10km Champs at Eton Dorney on Wednesday coming fourth overall and second Female Masters in 39: 26.01.

News from parkrun

There was another bumper turnout at Seaton for parkrun on Saturday with 253 finishers.  Ritchie Durrant took second in 17:17 with Rich Hardy third finisher in 18:24.  Despite her race on Wednesday, Debbie Whiston was first female finisher in 19:39 after a great battle with visitor, Gemma Collier.  She also first on age-grade in 80.8%.

Dave Hutton in 24:02; Ann-Louise Gridley in 30:24; and Kathryn Thompson in 30:58 all celebrated PBs.  Big thanks as ever to the volunteers and pacers from AVR that support this event.

Tourism for parkrun continues with Rob Collier, Sam Summers and Rupert Pady in Horsham and Jo Orsman completing Ashton Court parkrun.  Others can be seen here  

Points make Prizes

There was a big turnout for the August Bank Holiday 10k time trial as it was the last opportunity to improve scores in this event for the new AVR Annual Challenge where runners tackle a series of events throughout the year.

The sun shone as 44 AVRs started the 10k at Colyford Post Office running through the Seaton Wetlands down onto the Esplanade, avoiding the temptation of the Bank Holiday market, to the Hideaway, the halfway mark.  Then it was back along the Esplanade and up the Axmouth Straight alongside the River Axe before turning before the church to retrace the route back to the Hideaway.  First home was Matt Clist in an impressive 34:22; first female was Debbie Whiston in 41:58; Lindsey Freathy knocked 90 seconds off her May time, Mark Day knocked off a huge five minutes to finish in 54:38 while Janet Cullum and Alison Gould improved by three minutes each  in 62:02 and 62:04 respectively.  Full results here.

Lustleigh 10k

Eleanor Wood and Julia Teague enjoyed a 10k as part of the Bank Holiday Lustleigh Village Show.  It was a tough hilly route with Eleanor, returning from injury, finishing in an excellent 54:52 and Julia in 64:17.

Seaton parkrun

 

There was another big turnout with 268 finishers.  Debbie Whiston was second female in 19:43, third on age-grade in 80%.  Zoe Trewick and Georgie Ryan celebrated PBs in 27:36 and 30:41, respectively.

Summer trips meant more parkrun tourism with Wayne and Sam Tooze running Prospect Park parkrun before letting their hair down at the Reading Festival while Emma Ellynn enjoyed beautiful Trelissick parkrun in Cornwall.  Seven AVRs popped over to Killerton for a hilly off-road parkrun.  All AVR parkrun results are here.

Ron races the train

Ron Seward travelled to Tywyn in West Wales to race the train.  The event started at 2:05 pm as the Fat Controller blew his whistle. The steam train made its way up the gently sloping straight track to Abergynolwyn before making its return.

Meanwhile the runners were tackling fields, hills, tracks, streams and bogs made particularly challenging after Storm Betty. The outward part of the run was definitely easier than the return and the train was often tantalisingly in view. However, for the final part of the run the train’s route was considerably shorter than that of the runners.  Nonetheless, 47 of the 500 starters outperformed the steam engine which completed its route in 1hr 48 minutes. Having taken a couple of tumbles and completely immersing himself in the bog, Ron completed the 23 km course in a (replacement bus service) time of 2:19:56 in 234th and third M70, being pipped to second by just two-hundredths of a second.

Seaton and parkrun tourism

 It was a bright, windy Saturday in Seaton with a very big turn-out for parkrun. Plenty of tourists joined the regulars with more than 300 finishers.  Second female was Debbie Whiston in 20:29, also second on age-grade in 77%.  Rich Hardy was fourth finisher in 19:20. Kathryn Thompson secured nice new PB in 32:10, respectively.

Tourism award for the furthest travelled this week goes to Chris Polley who did a hot and humid East Park parkrun in Singapore in an impressive 21:59. Tony Smith and Sam Miller did Glengariff parkrun in Ireland securing their G meaning they are just one-away from the full parkrun alphabet.  Meanwhile Carol Austin did Jersey Farm parkrun to nab her J leaving her also just one letter left.  Bec Davey also got her G at Great Yarmouth parkrun.