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HRC Events

Blackdown Beast
Photos and Comments

Honiton Hippo

Sun 14 April 19
Results
Hippo
Calf

Ottery 10K
12 May 2019

Results , Feedback and Photos

Blackdown Beauty
13 July 2019
On-line entry
Postal entry

Parkrun
Report of all HRC runs last Saturday here
Killerton here
Exeter here
Seaton here
Exmouth here

Instep Devon Championship
2019 Results

Club Charities
2018

Honiton Sports Shop
offers members 10% discount upon production of HRC card. Click here

Latest News:

Heron Half, Cheddar Gorge Marathon, Woodland Relays and Torbay Half Marathon
On 9th June, Honiton Running Club’s Simon Bates took part in the Heron Half at Yeovilton and Simon finished in 2 hours 2minutes and 35 seconds. This was Simon’s first ever half marathon and hopefully not his last!

On 16th June, Stephen Boyes took part in the Cheddar Gorge Marathon. He found it his toughest marathon so far which is saying something as he has completed well over 100! The route was changed to four laps instead of two on the day due to danger of falling off the cliff and the start was delayed due to clay shoot on course! The race ascended by 2700 ft and Stephen took 5 hours 5 minutes coming 15th overall and winning his age category.

On the same day relatively new member Adam Rooke took part in the Age UK Exeter 10K Superhero Run. He finished in 41:13 and 12th position overall which was 3rd in his popular age category. Those taking part were invited to dress up as a superhero and many did!

On Wednesday evening, 19th June, HRC managed 12 teams of 3 at Axe Valley Runners’ Woodland Relays held at Morganhayes. The course had been shortened to 1.3 miles due to fallen trees and Honiton runners did very well taking home several prizes. First team back overall and taking the mixed prize was HRC’s team of Jasmine Stone, Mark Jeffreys and Nick Silkstone finishing in 23 minutes 15.The next HRC prize winners were the men’s vets made up of Roger Saunders, Rod Inglis and Howard Bidmead. They finished in 28:25. The ladies’ vets’ team also won finishing in 30:17 made up of Pippa Westall, Judy Davey and Fran Bond.

There were some other superb performances by HRC runners and the full results for HRC are:
Adam Rooke, Jo Davey and Ben Stone – 3rd overall in 25:29
Luke Holway, Aron Howells and Steve Selley - 4th in 27:51
Simon Spiller, Steve Davey and Hadleigh Davies – 6th 28:02
Sharon Wells, Louise Bennett and Paula Ferris – 9th in 28:39
Rebecca Stevens, Jennie Sleeman and Tim Pepper – 16th in 30:27
Phil Hall, Jay Sweetman and Adam Rooke – 17th in 30:44
Lorna Jarrald, Wendy Hawker and Pip Vanham – 24th in 34:29
Katy Lancaster, Kathy Layzell and Claire Rouse – 26th in 35:59
Juliet Hall, Clare Melbourne and Michelle Selley – 28th in 36:34

Honiton Running Club’s Olivia Higginson took part in the Torbay Half Marathon on Sunday, 23rd June. It was a humid day with no sun. The race consists of 2 laps from Paignton Green to Torquay with a few hills along the way. Olivia completed in 1:54:15 and 563rd position out of 1409.Olivia enjoyed a paddle in the sea after the event which was won by Tom Merson of Exmouth Harriers in 67:11.

Jersey Half Marathon
Last Sunday, Over 500 runners started this year’s Jersey half marathon last Sunday with Honiton Running Club member Howard Bidmead being one of them. This was Howard’s third Jersey half marathon and one of his favourites. Despite the 09.15am start the sun was shining making conditions very warm. The race starts in St. Ouens village and heads two miles out to the infamous 5 mile coast road along St. Ouens Bay. This is one long road which culminates in a massive climb at Corbiere. From here the route is shaded along the old railway line which brings the runners into St. Aubin’s Bay and the final 3 miles along the coastal walk into St. Helier and the finish. Howard had a good run and passed several runners who had succumbed to the heat. The final 3 miles along the sea front was however extremely hard and Howard has described being able to see the finish but it never seemed to get any closer. 502 runners finished the race and Howard was 141st in a time of 1.45.27 and was 5th out of 15 in the O60 category. The race was run by Phil Taylor in 1.15.13.

Honiton Running Club Junior Woodland Relay
On Tuesday 4th HRC Juniors held their 2nd Juniors’ woodland relay at Escot Park.
The juniors ran in teams of 3 with 10 teams from HRC and 6 teams from West Hill School.
These were divided into two age groups; Under 11 & Under 16 with the U11 doing a 1 mile route through Escot woods and the U16 following a 1.3 mile route with a slight detour around a field before joining the same route as the U11s. With well-marked routes and marshals to point them in the right direction all juniors make it around safely. The weather was kinder this year and it only started to rain whilst packing up but by this time most of the cakes had been eaten so nothing was spoilt.

The fastest individuals were:
U11 girl - Amber McDermott of HRC in a time of 6 min 54 sec.
U11 boy - Sam Smart of West Hill in 6 min 26 secl
U16 girl - Piper Leisk on HRC in 9 min 56 sec
U16 boy - Finlay Downes of HRC in 8 min 43 sec.

Team winners were:
U11 boys for West Hill - Sam Smart, Oscar Finch & Evan Perkins
U11 Girls for HRC - Amber McDermott, Bea Knight & Josie Willy
U11 Mixed for HRC - Rose Williams, Izzy Pollard & Finnan Driscoll
U16 boys for HRC - Kaiden Chippen, Finlay Downes & Alfie Gibbins
U16 Girls for HRC - Piper Leisk, Macey Bennett & Holly Jackson
U16 mixed for HRC - Becky Taviner, Johnathon Triner & Ben Totten.

Thanks to all who helped with Special thanks to Escot Park for allowing their grounds to be used again this year.

Duathlon Results
Thirteen teams competed in the Payhembury Duathlon on Sunday 2 June. The times for each leg and total are in the table below. Well done to Jay and Mark for winning the men's team and to Paula and Suzanne for winning the ladies team. Team Moffett were the mixed team winners. Katy Lancaster and Rod Inglis both won the solo teams though Rod didn't have to try very hard as the only entry. Well done to all for some great efforts.

Mont Saint-Michel Marathon, Women Can Marathon & Half Marathon, Dorset Invader (Long) Marathon and Edinburgh Marathon
It was definitely a weekend of marathons for Honiton Running Club members on Sunday, 26th May. Firstly, Rebecca Stevens and Tim Pepper took part in the Mont Saint-Michel Marathon in France. It was Tim’s first ever marathon and he did really well to finish in 4 hours 9 minutes although his target was a sub 4 hour as that is what his brother has achieved when he took on the distance; there’s always next time! Rebecca finished in 4:32 and was struggling towards the end but was accompanied by her 2 daughters for the final run in which helped tremendously. It was a beautiful course and very well organised. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, and there was a lot of support out on the course from spectators too.
The 3rd year, and probably the last, of the Women Can and Half Marathon saw a different format with all events starting at 9am but the Half beginning at Tipton and the whole in Sidmouth. There was also a 10k starting at Budleigh Salterton. This meant there was a steady stream of finishers at Sidmouth Rugby Club throughout the day. Jo Davey had an amazing run to finish 3rd in 4:14 and her mum finished behind her, albeit by 8 minutes, to come 4th! Both were surprised and amazed at the result. Paula Ferris was struggling with her contact lenses but nevertheless she was pleased to finish in 4:46 completing HRC’s team for the Marathon. Clare Melbourne, Mandy Ward and Pip Vanham all took on the half marathon distance and Mandy was left feeling a little frustrated with a pain in her leg slowing her down. She finished in 2:32. Pip finished in 2:37 and Clare finished in 2:52 just happy to finish after being ill last week. It was another extremely well organised race with runners being treated to a delicious cream tea after all events.
Claire Rouse and Rachel Hennessy took on the hilly and challenging Dorset Invader (Long) Marathon, covering 28 mile with an elevation of 4287ft. Competitors were treated to outstanding views from Pilsdon Pen and Dorset’s highest point Lewesdon Hill. Claire and Rachel ran together completing the course in 7:17:32.
Kevin and Wendy Hawker travelled to Scotland to take part in the Edinburgh marathon. Kevin had trained towards a sub 2:50 time and didn’t miss out by too much to finish in 2:55 and still very pleased with the result. Things didn’t go according to plan for Wendy either but she finished in 4:43 which is a massive pb by 11 minutes over the distance so she wasn’t too disheartened.

Bideford 10k, Run Exe Relays, Clyst Hydon Huff & Exeter Half Marathon
On 12th May, Kevin Hawker ran the Bideford 10k coming 12th place out of 1300 runners in 35:54 winning his age category.

Friday evening of 17th May saw 4 teams from Honiton at the Run Exe Relays in Exeter; teams of 4 running 4km each. There were some great performances on the night. First team home for Honiton was the men’s team in 20th place with Adam Rooke, Mark Jeffreys, Alasdair Moffett and Adam Hennessey. Next team in 39th place was Honiton Mixed Team 1 with Jay Sweetman, Jo Davey, Richard Harvey and Liam Dingle. Third team back was Honiton Mixed Team 2 in 68th position with Sharon Wells, Sean Corbett, David Hawker and Roger Saunders. The Honiton Ladies’ team placed 78th with Rachel Hennessey, Pip Vanham, Lorna Jarald and Claire Rouse. A great team event and one Honiton will look forward to next year.

HRC had a great turnout at the Clyst Hydon Huff last Sunday. Now in its 4th year this is a 10k run mainly around the lanes local to Clyst Hydon but also taking in a couple of loops around Ashclyst Forest which is always muddy and it didn’t disappoint for Sunday’s race. The race was won by Mark Jeffreys in 42:01 and the first HRC runner home was Mike Mears in 6th place in 45:39. Adam Rooke followed to come 14th in 48:23. Jo Davey was first back for Honiton ladies coming 3rd lady overall in 23rd place with a time of 51:40. She was delighted to take home her first ever trophy! Sean Monger followed coming 25th in 52:01 with Jay Sweetman just one place and 10 seconds later. Howard Bidmead had a great run to come just 2 places after Jay in 53:20. Steve Davey came 34th in 54:47 with his wife, Judy, hot on his heels coming 37th in 55:23 and winning her age category. Roger Saunders came 40th in 55:42, Daniella Monger 73rd in 63:47, Mandy Ward 75th in 65:09, Kate Harding 78th in 65:43, Pip Vanham 93rd in 69:21 and Catherine Monger 110th in 72:52. There were 140 finishers.

On the same day, Olivia Higginson and Luke Holway took part in the Exeter Half Marathon. It is a great flat route along Exeter Quay to St David’s and back to Marsh Barton and the Quay to finish. It was hot and humid in places but Luke and Olivia did extremely well with Luke finishing in just over 1 hour 50 minutes which is a pb and Olivia did 1:54. They were rewarded with a colourful medal of the Cathedral and a great t-shirt.

Ottery 10k Final results - here

May Handicap - Well done Luke!

Ottery 10k, Beer Blazer & Belfast City Marathon
Honiton Running Club held its Ottery 10k last Sunday in beautiful sunshine but a bit hot for the runners. First to cross the line was Sam Hopton in the fantastic time of 34 minutes 9 seconds. Second was Toby Garrick in 35:04 and he was followed by Miko Cadeddu in 35:21. The lady winner was Amy Jones in 40:37 coming 26th overall, second was Chloe Fox in 42:09 and 38th place and third lady was Jo Pearce in 43:42 and 52nd overall. Five of those 6 were South West Road Runners so well done to them. Toby was running for Sidmouth RC. New HRC member Adam Rooke was first back for Honiton coming 40th in 42:14. Ceri Oak was 1st lady back for HRC winning her age category. She came 59th overall in 44:38. Jay Sweetman didn’t quite manage to finish under 45 minutes by 2 seconds but he was delighted nevertheless coming 61st. Hadleigh Davies only decided to take part a few minutes before the race start and he did well to come 68th in 46:13. Not far behind was 2nd HRC lady, Paula Ferris, who came 70th in 46:20 with London Marathon training still helping her good form. Louise Bennett is another new HRC member and relatively new runner altogether. She had a fine run finishing 80th in 46:55.
Other HRC finishers: 64th Vernon Gillard 45:26, 77th Sam Pollard 46:35, 92nd Pippa Westall 48:38, 121st Richard Kemp 51:37, 128th Daniella Monger 52:25, 130th Sean Corbett 52:41, 140th Tracey Perry 53:26, 148th Emma Davey 54:09, 152nd Martin Killick 54:19, 169th Simon Bates 55:13, 174th Esme Moffett 56:09, 178th Kate Harding 56:23, 245th Catherine Monger 1:02:15, 248th Lucy Daly 1:02:24 and 325th Tina Ludlow 1:13:06.
There was also a mile fun run around the cricket ground and on the old railway line. The first 3 boys were Noah Thomas, Max Spiller (HRC) and Oscar Ganley. The girl top 3 finishers were Jemima Daly (HRC), Maisie Bennett (HRC) and Saskia Van Rensburg.
Thanks to everyone who made the event the success it was with a record number of entries recorded of 335. Credit must go especially to HRC’s Roger Saunders; Race Director, main organiser and co-ordinator.
Meanwhile, 3 HRC members went to Pecorama in Beer to take part in the Beer Blazer which was over 10 miles for the first time this year. There was also a 5k race on offer. It was sunny with a cooling breeze for the race which had 136 finishers in the 10 mile event and 73 in the 5k.
The going was dry with only one river crossing at 10miles. The course had mile markers and the last mile seemed very long! Rod Inglis came in 19th in 1:29:11 taking the prize for first in M60 cat. Kelvin Peard was 46th in 1:44:35. and Simon Gilbert was 19th in the 5k in 29:15. The prize came as a complete surprise for Rod who was sure that several of the South West Roadrunners had beaten him to it.
On 5th May, Rachel Hennessey ran the Belfast City Marathon which was being held on Sunday for the first time with a new faster and flatter route. There was an issue with an extra 0.3 miles being added but it was a great run with great crowd support. Rachel ran in 4 hours 13 minutes which is a marathon PB by about half an hour!

East Devon Round & Chardstock Run
Honiton Running Club’s Adam Hennessey took part in the inaugural running of the East Devon Round Ultra-marathon on Saturday, 4th May. This race was HRC’s Alasdair Moffett’s brain child and he put the race together joining many of his favourite local trail runs. The full distance was 100k but runners were given the option of completing 50k as a relay team with a partner or, in fact, doing any distance participants wished. Nearly 50 took part with most tackling the full 62 miles. The base was at Offwell and it seemed that runners visited most of the villages in East Devon either sooner or later. Adam was the 3rd person to cross the line in a time of 13 hours 9 minutes having tackled this distance for the first time. The weather was as perfect as you could get and all arrangements went well with runners carrying a tracker usually used to locate boats so those back at base knew exactly where the runners were at all times; a very useful tool for a race of this distance. Feedback from runners was great thanking Alasdair for excellent organisation and also to Alasdair’s friends who he had roped in to help in many different ways. Many of the runners camped on Offwell Playing Fields making a weekend of it and found themselves very well fed with a variety of different foods provided.
On Sunday, 28th April, Harry Entwistle went with his Dad to take part in the Chardstock race for children. Harry had an incredible race coming 7th overall in 16 minutes 18 seconds being awarded ‘stand out performer of the race’. The race was won by Ben Price in 11:44.
On Sunday, 5th May, Stephen Boyes visited Newport, Wales to take part in the Newport Marathon. Stephen was delighted to finish in 3 hours 41 minutes which should be a good enough time to give him a guaranteed good for age time for next year’s London Marathon.

Fast Friday 10k, London Marathon & Exmouth Half Marathon
Two HRC members were in action at yesterday's Fast Friday 10k event. The course was two laps around Exeter Quayside and the hot weather made for some tough running, so much so, even some of the pacers didn't finish! First back for Honiton was Adam Rooke in a time of 43.18, followed by Jay Sweetman in 46.38. All finishers received a medal and a Creme Egg for their efforts.

Three HRC ladies took on the challenge of the London Marathon last Sunday. Although cold waiting in the start area, the race itself had ideal weather conditions. Judy Davey has taken part in this race several times before and was pleased to finish in 3 hours 41 minutes. Paula Ferris gained her place by winning the Club’s ballot place and she was raising money for the local The Baton charity. This was her first time at London and she loved the atmosphere finishing well under her target time of 4 hours crossing the line in 3 hours 52 minutes. It was also Olivia Higginson’s first London Marathon and she was running for the charity Mind which supports people with mental health problems. Olivia didn’t really have a target except to finish it with a smile on her face! She achieved this finishing in a time of just over 4 ½ hours. Well done to the ladies, London Marathon is no walk in the park!

On the same day some other HRC runners took part in the Exmouth Half Marathon which was described as multi terrain, starting on Exmouth Sea front. The first mile was flat but it quickly turned into an uphill slog for three miles before flattening out along the old railway line towards Budleigh Salterton. Here the runners continued along the seafront before climbing high onto the coast path for an undulating run back into Exmouth. Nick Silkstone had a superb run, finishing 6th overall in a time of 1.31. Howard Bidmead was next back for Honiton in 1.56. Rebecca Stevens added to her race portfolio and was happy with her finishing time of 2.09. Albeit described as a Multi terrain event this race was definitely more road.

Manchester Marathon & Kilmington Kanter
On Sunday, 7th April some Honiton Running Club members started off the spring marathon season with the Greater Manchester Marathon. First back for HRC was Steve and Michelle Selley in a time of 4 hours 15 minutes. Anna Dalzell was next back in 4:19 with Claire Rouse finishing in 4:32 and then came Vanessa Knowles in 4:38. Just one week later, Vanessa was tackling the Brighton Marathon finishing in 4:51.
A much shorter distance race and much closer to home attracted lots of HRC runners on Good Friday to take part in the 7 mile multi-terrain Kilmington Kanter. It was a gorgeous hot sunny day which makes a change as this race is often run in very cold conditions; perhaps one advantage of Easter being late this year. First back for HRC was Adam Hennessey coming 10th in 48:10. Alasdair Moffett followed in 19th place in 53:53. Tom Bornet came 21st in 54:24. First back for the HRC ladies was Paula Ferris who stormed around coming 3rd lady overall in 31st place in 57:29. Paula is tackling London Marathon in just over a week and the training is obviously paying off. Richard Harvey came 34th in 57:50. Howard Bidmead won his age category coming 41st in 59:48. Judy and Steve Davey raced each other to the line with Judy crossing the line first and winning her age category. Judy came 43rd in 1:00:26 and Steve was given 1 place and 1 second later. Their daughter Jo was suffering with a cold and came 47th in 1:01:56. There were several first time runners for this race from HRC and Sharon Wells had a great race coming 49th in 1:02:32. Other HRC runners: 63rd Luke Holway 1:08:13, 64th Rachel Hennessey 1:08:29, 65th Tim Wigram 1:08:38, 73rd Janice Newson 1:11:08, 78th Emma Davey 1:14:11 and 87th Kathy Layzell 1:25:24. There were 89 finishers and the race was won by Tom Merson in the amazing time of exactly 39 minutes which is a course record of over 3 minutes. HRC junior Piper Leisk took part in the 2 ½ mile Fun Run which starts with the main runners and goes up into Kilmington Woods before returning to the cricket field. Piper came 3rd girl, 18th overall in 21:40. There were 42 finishers. Upon their return, runners were treated to a seasonal warm buttered hot cross bun. Thanks for everyone who helped organise the race especially Luke Reed as the main man. Money raised went to Kilmington Primary School.

Honiton Hippo & Calf - Results
Hippo2019
Calf 2019

Honiton Running Club held its Hippo and Calf runs last Sunday with the base at Honiton Primary School. It was a very cold day but dry which made the going underfoot pretty good.
The main Hippo race is just over 7 miles in length involving plenty of variety. Runners first run down the road to the entrance of Combe Woods before circling the woods and coming back on the road to Combe Raleigh. They then face the challenging St Cyres’ Hill running on road and through woods. Next it’s down towards Awliscombe to be taken off road and into the Land Rover Experience only to go straight back up the hill again. A quick run around the Land Rover Experience follows involving several muddy soakings and a couple of cold water dunkings. Runners didn’t have long to dry off before coming across two river crossings which took their breath away with the cold. Luckily help was on hand to pull runners out. The race was won by Tim Lenton in a time of 50 minutes 37 seconds. Second was Roger Easterbrook in 51:58 and 3rd David Garcia in 52:54. First lady was Lucy Macalister in 54:34, 2nd lady was Michelle Cowley in 1:01:09 and 3rd lady was Honiton Running Club’s Suzanne Spiller in 1:01:59. Many HRC members were involved in helping or marshalling but quite a few took part putting in some great performances and many for the first time. These included:
20th Wayne Trump 1:00:06, 33rd Ceri Oak 1:04:33 (category winner), 41st Vernon Gillard 1:05:42, 43rd Stephen Boyes 1:06:20, 72nd Luke Holway 1:15:24, 81st Linda Grady 1:17:05, 99th Ashleigh Ford-Cosens 1:22:11, 104th Daniella Monger 1:24:33, 105th Anna Dalzell, Steve & Michelle Selley (ran together) 1:24:39, 112th Andy Ashford 1:25:20, 117th Emma Davey 1:27:28, 131st Carol Turnham 1:30:19 and 173rd Michelle Hill 1:53:15. There were 192 finishers.

The Calf is open to youngsters of 9 years and over and is approximately 1 ¾ miles in length although younger children are allowed if they run with an adult. It follows the same route as the Hippo until coming out of Combe Woods when the Calf runners are sent back to base. This year it was decided that the river was too deep so they were directed back on the road. HRC’s own Alfie Gibbins won the race in 11 minutes 13 seconds with Finlay Downes coming 2nd in 11:20. Sam Eyre of AVR came 3rd in 11:22. The first girl back was Lauren Carr in 12:48, 2nd girl was HRC’s Piper Leisk in 13:09 and 3rd, also from HRC , was Maicey Bennett in 13:13. Jemima Daly came 14th in 13:25 winning her category.
Other HRC runners: 6th Jacob Holland 12:19, 8th Ben Matthews 12:25, 9th Charlie Wheeler 12:32, 10th Ben Totten 12:48, 15th Jonathan Triner 13:30, 16th Max Spiller 13:45, 20th Amber McDermott 14:07, 23rd Ella Spiller 14:41, 25th Maddie Knight 15:34, 26th Skye Symons 15:54, 32nd Mason Peek 16:28 and 34th Emily Pepper 17:27. There were 37 finishers. The winning primary school team this year was Upottery.
Thanks to everyone for supporting the run and those who helped including marshals and cake makers and especially the land owners for allowing all those feet to trample their ground. Honiton’s next event is the Ottery 10k on 12th May. Visit www.honitonrc.com for more information.

Trepolpen Seythin 10k & Exe to Axe
On Sunday, 31st March, Sherrie Hair from Honiton Running Club took part in The Trepolpen (Tre=village, Pol=coast, Pen=hills) Seythin 10k which is a new race this year organised by East Cornwall Harriers. It is a multi-terrain race with some tough ascents and 'a sting in the tail' with the last section along the beach from Downderry to Seaton (Cornwall). There were 166 runners and the race was won by Nick Loewendahl from St Austell running club in 39:38. Sherrie had a fantastic run coming in as first lady (8th overall) in 44:55.

Last Sunday, 8 HRC runners took the shorter journey to Exmouth to take part in JP’s Exe to Axe race organised by Sidmouth Running Club. This race follows the coastal path from Exmouth to Seaton passing through Sandy Bay, Budleigh Salterton, Ladram Bay, Sidmouth, Weston Mouth, Branscombe and Beer before ending at the other end of the sea front in Seaton. This is a particularly tough race of 22 miles and there is a total climb of about 3800 ft. The running conditions underfoot were ideal as was the weather and if runners felt like looking, they were treated to some breathtaking views along the way. First back for HRC was Adam Hennessey who had a great run finishing 26th in 3 hours 19 minutes. Alun Gwernan-Jones was next back coming 74th in 3:49. Nick Silkstone had taken it easy for the first 15 miles running with a HRC group and he just missed the 4 hour mark finishing 92nd in 4:01. A group of 4 HRC runners came in next virtually crossing the line together having stuck with each other for the entire route. They were made up of Judy Davey, Steve Davey, Jo Davey and Richard Harvey. They finished 136-139 in about 4:22. The HRC line-up was completed by Shane Hudd who really struggled but finished 215th in 5:15. The race had joint winners of Robert Ellis and Simon Minting of Exmouth Harriers in 2:52 and there were 244 finishers.

Granite Way 20 Miler and Yeovil Half Marathon
On Sunday the 24th of March, Paula Ferris from Honiton Running Club participated in the 20 mile Granite Way Race in Okehampton organised by Exeter City Community Trust; a bright, dry day proving ideal conditions in preparation for the London marathon on the 28th of April. The route was flat with little inclines along the way at various points, an out and back loop completed twice, with excellent support along the way. The plan was to use the route as a pacing exercise to try and maintain a steady consistent run. Paula's aim for the Marathon is around the 4 hour mark, the goal therefore was 3 hours of running. Paula completed the 20 miles in 2 hours 51 mins, marginally quicker than planned but felt good and strong over the whole distance. Paula is raising money for the local charity "The Baton" if you would like to read Paula's story and donate to this amazing worthwhile cause visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PaulaFerris
On the first day of British Summer Time, Sunday, 31st March, 9 HRClub members took part in the Yeovil Half Marathon. With an early start seeming even earlier with the clocks going forward, it was a little chilly before the off. However, as soon as runners got going it the conditions were ideal. The course is hilly for a road marathon so if personal best times were achieved they were well deserved. Jo Davey led the HRC runners home coming 172nd in 1 hour 37 minutes and 22 seconds and 5th in her category. She was followed by her mum Judy who came 294th in 1:43:04 and 3rd in her age group. It was a family affair as dad, Steve, followed just 58 seconds later coming 330th. Next was Howard Bidmead who came 390th, 4th in category in 1:46:12. Rachel Hennessey had a fantastic race coming 629th in 1:54:06 with a pb for over 7 years. Olivia Higginson followed coming 716th in 1:56:57 and then came Wendy Hawker who came 849th just missing the 2 hour mark by 6 seconds. This was Emma Davey’s first half marathon and she did very well to come 867th just 33 seconds behind Wendy. Finishing the HRC line-up was Pip Vanham who came 1070th in 2:10:48. There were 1618 finishers and the race was won by Stuart Holloway in 1:12.

Woolacombe Dunes Park Run & Bath 1/2 Marathon
Eight members from Honiton Running Club travelled to North Devon on Saturday, 16th March to test out the Woolacombe Dunes Park Run which has been given the title of the UK’s toughest Park Run. Whether you agree or not it is certainly one of the most stunning for scenery. Extremely blustery conditions greeted the 71 runners who were informed that 4/5 minutes should be added to normal average park run times.
The course started on the shingle coast path before a steep descent and a gully deep in sand took runners onto Woolacombe beach. The run along the beach was a mile in length before a steep sand dune had the runners clambering up into the dunes and following an undulating trail to the finish.
First Honiton runner back was Emilie Padmore who had a super run finishing 10th overall and first lady home in a time of 24m 29s for the 5k Run. She was followed by Howard Bidmead finishing 17th in 26.06 and was first Male O60. Steve Davey followed and was first Male O55 and finished in 22nd position in 26.42. Other Honiton runners were Roger Saunders who finished in 30th place in 27.54. Darren Roberts 32nd in 28.24. Rachel Hennessey 33rd in 28.52. Pip Vanham 54th in 33.51 and Kathy Layzell in 56th position in 35.26. The event was won by Clinton Winfield finishing in 21m31s.
The members then enjoyed a superb breakfast in the Woolacombe Bay Hotel arranged by Pip Vanham and vowed they would be back all having agreed that a fab morning had been had by all.

After running with just 70 runners at the wonderful windy Woolacombe parkrun Roger Saunders decided to run with over 12,000 runners a day later at the Bath Half Marathon - a different challenge. Surprisingly for Bath it is a virtually flat course of 2 loops along the river Avon and the weather was kind with sunshine and less wind than of late. Roger was running for Swallow a charity which helps people with learning disabilities and managed to raise over £300 for them. The winner was Chris Thompson (1:03:09) and first lady Kate Reed (1:12:44). Roger, who has been slowing down of late, was very pleased with his time of 1:48:24 in 2854 position. The event was well organised and would be good for those contemplating a first half marathon

Claire Rouse narrowly missed a pb at the 5th Weymouth 1/2 Marathon on Sunday, 17th March. Runners were treated to near perfect running conditions as they took in a historical and scenic tour of Weymouth. Runners ran along Weymouth seafront for 8 miles then into the town before heading out into the old town towards Portland Harbour, finally looping back to the finish at the Pavilion. Claire came 532nd in 2 hours 54 seconds, the winner was Jacek Cieluszecki in 1 hour 12 minutes and there were 973 finishers.

Grizzly Runs
Honiton Running Club had a huge turnout for the infamous Grizzly and Cub races last Sunday, 10th March. The races are put on by Axe Valley Runners and attract literally thousands of runners to Seaton and even more spectators. The race was won by Ceri Rees of Wild Running in the fantastic time of 2 hours 19 minutes. HRC’s first runner back was Kevin Hawker who finished 48th in 2:45. Adam Hennessey came 56th in 2:47 and Alasdair Moffett finished just under 3 hours in 2:59 and 125th place. Sherrie Hair was the first lady back for HRC and 7th lady overall. She came 137th in 3:01.
Other Honiton runners; 151st Nick Silkstone 3:03, 208th Mike Mears 3:13, 239th Alun Gwernan Jones 3:16, 330th Rod Inglis 3:23, 332 Judy Davey 3:23, 345th Stephen Boyes 3:23, 346th Tom Bornet 3:24, 467th Jo & Steve Davey 3:34, 533rd David Perkins 3:41, 602nd Wendy McDermott 3:46, 627th Gavin Rice 3:47, 650th Paula Ferris, Simon Spiller and Hadleigh Davies 3:50 (ran together), 680th Julian Gigg 3:51, 691st Sharon Wells 3:51, 692nd Tim Wigram 3:52, 826th Michelle and Steve Selley 4:03, 998th Rachel Hennessey 4:17, 1009th Olivia Higginson 4:19, 1114th Andy Ashford 4:26, 1264th Anna Dalzell 4:43, 1314th Simon Gilbert , Sean Corbett and Claire Rouse 4:48, 1333rd Mandy Ward 4:48, 1343rd Vanessa Knowles 4:50, 1388th Richard Kemp & Luke Holway 5:00, 1405th Pip Vanham 5:02 and 1423rd Katy Campbell 5:05. There were 1589 finishers.
The 9 mile Cub Run is a tough race in itself but attracted several HRC runners. First back for HRC was Suzanne Spiller who came 3rd lady overall, 28th position in 1:23, Thomas Lilley isn’t old enough to take part in the full Grizzly but was next back for HRC to come 29th also in 1:23. Other HRC runners: 41st Ceri Oak 1:26, 110th Roger Saunders 1:37, 181st Tracey Perry 1:46, 214th Rebecca Stevens 1:50, 238th Kate Harding 1:53, 306th Simon Bates 2:00, 365th Alan Nicholls 2:06, 366th Denis Costello 2:07, 395th Helen Oliff 2:10, 475th Emma Davey 2:16, 484th Teresa Pollard 2:17 and 550th Clare Melbourne 2:27. There were 590 finishers and the race was won by Sidmouth Running Club’s Ben Chesters in 1:10.
The Grizzly and Grizzly Cub races formed part of the Grizzly Fest weekend and some HRC juniors took part in the Junior Grizzly held on Saturday, 9th March. The race was won by Jacob Bell in 15 minutes 55 seconds. Ben Matthews came 12th in 19:12, Maicey Bennet came 23rd in 21:53 and Skye Simmons came 25th in 22:08. There were 31 finishers. There was also a Junior Cub run which was won by Will Birchall of Mrs Ethelston’s School and there were 128 children taking part. A further 129 children took part in the fun run which was won by Exmouth Harriers’ Ellis Brown.
Thanks to Axe Valley Runners’ Grizzly Committee, the landowners, the marshals especially the 8 from the club, sponsors and everyone else who was involved in any way in putting on this fabulous, well organised weekend.

Looe 10 miler.
Honiton Running Club had a sole representative at the Looe 10 miler on Saturday, 23rd February. This is an undulating run, and with 1600ft of total ascent, it is as advertised 'hilly and hellish'! The race is organised by Looe Pioneers Running Club; Sherrie Hair ran this in memory of the club’s founder Ian Slee who was a good family friend and running inspiration. There were 517 finishers, with Tony Brewer winning in a time of 1:01:13. Sherrie was 2nd lady, finishing in 1:17:19.
George (7yrs) and Samuel (5yrs) Hair took part in the 1 mile fun run. All funds were raised for Cornwall Air Ambulance.

Dalwood 3 Hills' Challenge
Several Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Dalwood to take part in the Dalwood 3 Hills’ Challenge last Sunday which is a tough 10 mile multi-terrain race boasting 4 hills rather than the suggested 3. It was the hottest day of the year so far and Dalwood was bathed in glorious sunshine. There are some stunning views at the top of the hills and with the visibility excellent this was a treat for all. Although the weather was dry, it didn’t follow that the ground was dry and runners were not disappointed with the amount of mud to wade through. Adam Hennessey was the first back for HRC coming 6th overall in 1 hour 16 minutes and 3 seconds. Steve Davey followed in 41st place in 1:37:15 having just overtaken HRC’s first lady back, Ceri Oak, who finished 43rd in 1:37:41. Ceri and Judy Davey raced each other down the last hill and Judy finished just 7 seconds behind her winning her age category prize. Paula Ferris had a great run, much faster than last year, storming home to come 50th in 1:39:53. Simon Spiller feels his training is lacking distance so he did well to finish 57th in 1:43:47. Rachel Hennessey was next back coming 81st in 1:57:35. This is the furthest race Emma Davey has tackled and it’s not an easy one! She came 85th in 2:02:02. Claire Rouse was using this as a training run and came 91st in 2:08:57 and finishing the HRC line-up was Pip Vanham who came 95th in 2:26:13. The race was won by Axe Valley Runners’ James Green in a time of 1:08:50 and there were 97 finishers.
Several HRC juniors took part in the Fun Run which was won by Oscar Purchase in 11 minutes 4 seconds. Max Spiller led HRC home to come 5th in 11:32 and he was followed by Mason Peck who came 9th in 12:09. Max’s sister Ella was the 1st girl back for HRC coming 11th in 12:30. Next came a trio of brothers in the form of Harry, Ben and Charlie Entwistle who came 13th in 13:55, 18th in 15:31 and 22nd in 19:41 respectively. Maicey Bennett set out to tackle the Fun Run but ended up running the Mini Challenge so she did well to be given a time of 37 minutes. There were 24 finishers.
Thanks to Dalwood Run Committee, the landowners and marshals for another great Dalwood race.

February 2019 Handicap - Well done Bernice!

Exeter Half Marathon
The Exeter Half Marathon took place on Sunday the 10th of February with a 9am start. The weather was kind and the rain had eased when the race started. A very well organised event by Exeter Community City Trust, mainly traffic free, flat route, run along the footpaths and cycle tracks around the River Exe and Exeter Canal. The course provided a fantastic opportunity for spring marathon training. This is exactly why Paula Ferris from Honiton Running Club took on the event, to gain an idea of how training was coming along in preparation for her 1st London Marathon in April. The 2 lap route gave the advantage of knowing what lay ahead and the pace could be monitored. Feeling strong throughout the race Paula finished in a respectable time of 1 hour 43 minutes and 18 seconds, achieving 1st place in her age category. 5th lady, and 29th place overall. There were a total of 293 runners and the race was won by Paul Sawford in 1.22.48. Paula is running the London Marathon to raise money in aid of the “Baton Charity”. If you would like to support this wonderful worthwhile cause Paula’s fundraising page is https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PaulaFerris

Hestercombe and Hurtle Humdingers
Several Honiton Running Club members had a lot of fun in Somerset with variable weather conditions from bright sunshine to strong headwinds and hail storms last Sunday for the Humdinger Half Marathon. Kathy Layzell ran the 5 mile Hestercombe Hurtle in 46 minutes 20 seconds and was a little peeved that she was awarded with no medal or t shirt but a biscuit! The Half Marathon is a brutal, hilly race on quiet country roads through the Quantock Hills. First home for HRC was Mike Mears who came 19th in 1.34.28. Next came the first lady for HRC, Jennie Sleeman who was 1st in her age category and finished in 1.57.17. Rachel Hennessey was next in 2.01.14 and Olivia Higginson 5 mins later in 2.06. 12 Mandy Ward did her usual sprint finish in 2.13.09.. Finishers for this race did get a t shirt and a biscuit for their efforts and enjoyed delicious cake provided by Jennie and hot chocolate from Kathy.

Blackdown Beast
The annual Blackdown Beast social run over the Blackdown Hills (10 or 16 miles) organised by Honiton Running Club is getting ever more popular with more than 230 runners taking part this year ensuring a good sum is raised for MacMillan Cancer. There were many happy runners with some of the Honiton contingent on the left. The pasties and mulled wine at the 7 mile point was especially welcome. More Photos on Beast Page.

First Chance 10K
Although still called the First Chance 10K in Exeter this race is getting later in January to allow for the effect of the tide. This year the course had been slightly altered to take account of the flood barrier works and the suspicion was it was 100m more than 10K. As always there was a good turnout from Honiton Running Club seeking for a good time early in the new year. The race was won by Jim Cole in a time of 32:29 and first lady back was Susannah Reid in 38:28. For the Honiton runners chairman Howard Bidmead was just first back at 45:56 with Jay Sweetman just 2 secs behind. Howard was second in his Vet60 category. Michael Killen was happy with his run at 51:32 ahead of his partner Olivia. Katy Campbell newly returned to the club did a very good time in 52:07 after her year long cycle around the world just beating Olivia Higginson at 52:17. Ashleigh Ford, a Honiton Junior helper, came second in the under 20 female category in a time of 56:37. Wendy Hawker who has taken more than a year off from running due to injuries managed to run a great time in 56:52 which is a PB so she finished with a big smile. Next came Clare Melbourne doing a short run for her in 57:42 and Pip Vanham did an impressive PB for her in 1:00:11 so she was overjoyed. Judging by the happy faces at the finish most runners enjoyed this event.

Oh My Obelisk
Honiton Running Club’s Kevin Hawker, Luke Holway, Mandy Ward and Simon Gilbert ran the Oh My Obelisk 13.4 mile race from Dawlish Leisure Centre. This is a very hilly course up to the Obelisk but coming back was not all downhill with some tough ascents over the last couple of miles. First home for Honiton was Kev Hawker coming home first vet 40 in 10th place in 1hr 33. Next home was Luke Holway in 2hr 20 running which was 20 minutes quicker than he expected. Mandy Ward was down to run the 9 mile but opted for the longer version on the day and had a fantastic run. Simon Gilbert ran his first half for a decade and loved it. Mike Mears did the shorter 9 mile version after suffering from a bad cold and came a great place winning a category prize.

Axmouth Challenge
Last Sunday several Honiton Running Club members went to Axmouth to take part in the Axmouth Challenge which is a tough 9 mile multi-terrain race organised by Axe Valley Runners. It had been very cold the previous day but quite a bit warmer on the day which pleased racers. First back for Honiton was Vernon Gillard who finished 24th in 1 hour 12 minutes and 38 seconds just ahead of Jo Davey who stormed home to knock 3 minutes off her time for last year meaning she came first lady. This completed a superb running weekend for Jo who also came first lady at the Seaton Park Run on Saturday. Jo finished 9 seconds behind Vernon. Jo’s dad, Steve, followed having battled with Jo’s mum, Judy, during the race. Steve came 34th in 1:16:55 with Judy finishing just 10 seconds later. Pippa Westall finished 52nd in 1:23:49. Mark Dallyn was suffering from lack of oxygen following a virus and came 57th in 1:24:38. Rachel Hennessey came 71st in 1:29:45 and Mandy Ward came 80th in 1:35:44. Finishing the line-up for HRC was Emma Davey who had never tackled this distance before. She finished 86th in 1:39:05. The race was won by James Green of AVR in a time of 55:50 and there were 95 finishers. There were other distances on offer including 5 mile, 3 mile and 1 mile races. HRC’s Harrison Stone took on the 3 mile race. He came 8th in 31:26. The race was won by Alexandra Carter in 22:12. Once runners finished and returned to the village hall they were treated to very welcome soup and bacon butties.

This Week

24/06/2019

Club Calendar

Mon-Wed nights meet at 6:30pm at Honiton Community College room P1 by Gym behind main block unless
advised otherwise below.

In Winter Hi Vis Essential for club runs
Monday
Run from Escot
Park on the grass by the house to start at 6:40pm. Runs for all paces a mix of M/T and lanes.
Tuesday
Juniors meet
Wednesday
Payhembury Pub Run
Run from Six Bells in Payhembury. Start at 6:40pm. A 4.5 and 6.4 mile option all on quiet lanes. Try to car share. Order food before run.
Thursday
No event
Friday
Friday tempo run. Meet at car park on corner of Silver St/School Lane at 18:30. Run to Cotleigh and back. Suitable for all you run at your own pace or with others.
Saturday
Killerton Parkrun at 9am
Exeter Parkrun at 9am
Seaton Parkrun at 9am
Exmouth Parkrun at 9am.
Haldon Forest Parkrun at 9am
Sunday

Maps and Parking here

Club Kit Page

Order Form for kit here

Page Editors
Judy, Roger