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WELCOME TO HONITON RUNNING CLUB

We are based in Honiton, East Devon, Southwest England and spend our lives running through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK.

HRC Events

Honiton Hippo

2019 Date TBA

Ottery 10K
12 May 2019 TBC

HRC and Spinners Duathlon
2019 Date tba
Payhembury

Blackdown Beauty
See FB page for 2018 photos

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

Instep Devon Championship
2018 Results

Club Charities
2018

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

Latest News

Jurassic Coast Run
On Sunday Howard Bidmead went to West Bay to take part in the Jurassic Coast Run hosted by Bridport Runners. This event combines a half marathon and a 10k. Both races take part in the beautiful coast path of the Jurassic Coast and all runners have to ascend Thorncombe Beacon the 2nd highest point on the South Coast. After all the hot weather, on Sunday runners were met with strong winds, driving rain and coastal fog which made conditions difficult. Howard elected for the 10k event and finished in 24th position in a time of 1hr 14s and was second male vet O60. 85 runners took part in the 10k which was won by Neil Wicks from Worcester Tri club in 44m 22s.

Friday evening frolic at Forest Flyer
As the heatwave finally cooled 6 Honiton runners headed for Haldane Forest for an almost 5 mile race on a sunny Friday evening. The first 4 mies of the run are through lovely forest trails with glimpses of fine views over the Exe valley. However the final 3/4 mile is all uphill (134m climb) which makes for careful pacing. Mark Newson led the HRC runners home in a time of (37:03) followed by Roger Saunders, who isn't good on hills these days, in 40:39. Jay, Sascha and Olivia had a HRC battle up the final hill with Jay walking being passed by Olivia but Jay overtook her and Sascha at the top finishing in 42:14, Sascha in 42:15 and Olivia in 42:18. Lorna Jarrald who has only recently started running with the club came in a few minutes later in a time of 49:13. This is an Instep Devon race so the men will count for club points.

St Ives 10K
Taking advantage of a holiday in Cornwall Honiton member Sherrie Hair entered the St.Ives Bay 10k. This is an off road event which starts on the beach. Sherrie had a great run winning the Ladies race and finishing 13th overall in a time of 45.33s. 146 runners took part and the race was won by by Floyd Ratcliffe in 38.33s.

Summer BBQ Runners

Exeter Park Run - Mass Turnout

Dalwood 10k
On Sunday, 22nd July 10 Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Dalwood to take part in the Dalwood 10k multi-terrain run. The day was blisteringly hot and with an 11 am start runners were out in the hottest part of nearly the hottest day of the year. Runners struggled and personal best times were few and far between although organisers did put on 3 water stations. The race was won by Matt Clist in 41 minutes 5 seconds. Rod Inglis was first in for HRC coming 7th overall in 50:03. He was followed one place later by Richard Harris in 50:45. Hadleigh Davies had a great run to finish in 53:19 and 10th place and he was followed by 3rd lady overall and 1st lady back for Honiton, Ceri Oak. She finished 12th in 54:12. The next 3 finishers were all HRC runners with Vernon Gillard in 54:13, Jo Davey in 54:42 and Judy Davey in 55:03. Jo Davey finished as 2nd lady overall. Pippa Westall was next back coming 20th in 56:45. Tim Pepper followed coming 32nd in 1:02:58 with Rebecca Stevens coming one place and just 7 seconds later. There were 46 finishers.

Haytor Heller
On Saturday evening several Honiton runners travelled to Dartmoor to take part in the 6 mile Haytor Heller. This is a tough moorland event with a 1000 ft of Climb. Starting halfway up Haytor runners made their way to the top to be met with the most magnificent view. Ascents were steep and descents rocky. After climbing to Hound Tor runners made their way back across the moor ascending the rear of Haytor before a final sprint down to the finish. Mark Dallyn had a fine run and was first Honiton runner home finishing 69th in a time of 59 minutes 54 seconds. Mark was followed by Howard Bidmead who is running well and finished 110th in 1.05.38. Olivia Higginson was first back for the Honiton ladies and was impressive finishing just behind Howard in 123rd place in a time of 1.06.52. Claire Rouse was next back in 171st place in 1.16.16. Claire loved the event describing it as her best multiterrain race ever. Jayne Bevan was next in 182nd position in 1.18.05 followed by Lorna Jarrald in 191st place in a time of 1.19.28. There were 229 finishers and the race was won by Ceri Rees in 41.07.

Ham to Lyme 50k, Otter Rail and River Run, Lulworth Cove Trail Series and Blackdown Beauty
On Saturday, 7th July, another blisteringly hot day and far too hot for running, several Honiton Running Club members went to Ham Hill Country Park in Somerset to take part in the Ham to Lyme 50k Ultra Marathon. This 31 mile race follows the Liberty Trail across country all the way to Lyme Regis in Dorset taking in some beautiful locations en-route including Lambert’s Castle and a number of picturesque villages. Chris Southern won the race in 4 hours 7 minutes and Honiton’s Judy Davey was first lady as well as being first back for HRC. She ran with HRC’s Alun Gwernan-Jones, who was ticking an ultra-marathon off his bucket list, for the whole race and they finished 20th overall in 5:53. Tim Wigram came 69th in 7:06 and Rachel Hennessey and Asilah Jarald were attempting the distance for the first time running together to come 127th in 8:11. There were 172 finishers.
On yet another red hot day last Saturday, HRC were in Tipton St John to take part in the Otter Rail and River Run 10k mainly off road race. Peter Monaghan won the race in 36 minutes 46 seconds and Honiton’s Sherrie Hair was 1st lady also winning her age category. She finished an amazing 12th overall in 42:52. Mike Mears was next back coming 15th in 43:35 and Emma Davey came 117th in 1:01:36. Mandy Ward finished 120th in 1:02:08 and Kathy Layzell followed 1 place and just 12 seconds later. Pip Vanham complete the Honiton line-up coming 154th in 1:08:30 and there were 192 finishers.
On the same day, three runners from Honiton took on The Lulworth Cove Trail Marathon and Half Marathon on Saturday the 14th of July along the Dorset Coast line, which was a postponed event due to take part in the height of the snow in March earlier in the year. There was also an Ultra distance and a 10km race on offer too. Temperatures were in complete contrast and baking hot in the mid 20’s for all the runners taking part. Paula Ferris set off first at 8.30am, a marathon distance to accomplish, followed by Claire Rouse and Mark Dallyn departing an hour later participating in the Half Marathon. The terrain was tough and demanding with relentless steep climbs which required precision footwork, concentration was needed on coastal paths and steep descents. The physically and mentally demanding course was worth every step to appreciate the stunning and amazing views of Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door and the Jurassic Coast line. Mark crossed the finish line in 2.12 in 41st place a great time over the course. Claire followed in 3.07 in 214th place out of 285 runners. Paula Ferris finished the Marathon in a time of 6.48 (despite a slightly over marked course of 29 miles not 26.2!!) achieving 18th place out of 46 runners, 2nd lady home and 2nd in her age category. The event was well supported, marked and care taken to ensure we were well looked after in the hot conditions
Also last Saturday, HRC held its own Blackdown Beauty social run which attracted about 100 participants. Runners were invited to dress with a military theme in mind to mark 100 years since WW1 and some took this on in fine style. Runners have the option of several routes varying from 10.3 miles to the longest option of 18.2 miles. There are 3 optional pub stops along the way but a mandatory cream tea stop at Pear Tree Cottage, Stapley where the WI ladies had been working hard baking delicious home-made scones. All money raised went to Macmillan Cancer Support and this year everyone returned safely with not too many accidental route deviations!

Forde Abbey 10k and Charmouth Challenge
Running a 10k cross country race on a hot midsummer’s evening in the heart of West Dorset with the promise of strawberries and ice cream at the end was irresistible to six members of Honiton Running Club. Forde Abbey 10k takes runners across the stunning country estate through woodlands and meadows with two river crossings and plenty of hills, starting and finishing on the lawns of this former cistercian monastary. The temperature was 26 degrees at the start of the race on Wednesday 27th June and no-one was expecting a PB! First home for Honiton was Richard Harris, 35th in 50:42 followed two minutes and two seconds later by Mark Newson who came 45th. Mark had run a marathon the previous weekend and was suffering from an injury. Pippa Westall came next – 74th in 57:31; Darren Roberts was 113th in 1:03:45 and Asilah Jarrald and her sister Lorna Jarrald crossed the finishing line together in 1:16:24 coming 208th and 209th. This was a tough hot run with a plague of flies to add to the challenge, but everyone agreed the strawberries at the end were worth it! There were 271 finishers.

Last Saturday, on the hottest day of the year so far, 6 HRC runners went to Charmouth to take part in the Charmouth Challenge 8 mile fell run. There are 3 very challenging hills including the climb up to Golden Cap which is the highest sea cliff on the South Coast 191 m above sea level. However, runners are rewarded with spectacular views over Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Mark Dallyn has had a bit of a rest from racing but did amazingly well to come 95th in 1:18:06. Jo Davey attempted the race for the first time and was 1st HRC lady back coming 106th in 1:19:54. Howard Bidmead loves this race and was pleased with his placing of 123rd in 1:22:49. It was also Paula Ferris’ first Charmouth and she enjoyed it coming 130th in 1:23:28. Sharon Wells came 182nd in 1:30:37 and Mandy Ward completed the HRC line-up to come 281st in 1:46:28. There were 344 finishers and the race was won by Chris McMillan in 53:32.

Umborne Ug and North Devon Marathon and Half Marathon
Last Sunday several Honiton Runners took the very short journey to Umborne to take part in the 10k multi-terrain Umborne Ug. This is a very friendly race with money raised going to the upkeep of the village hall. After the hottest week this year, the weather was actually ideal; a bit or rain to cool everyone down with no mud to be seen. The race was won by James Green of Axe Valley Runners in 41 minutes 42 seconds. First back for HRC was Mike Mears who came 8th overall in 48:13. Rod Inglis was next back winning his age category to come 12th in 50:23. Richard Harris followed soon after in 15th place in 51:17. Ceri Oak was the first lady back for HRC coming 3rd lady overall in 21st place. Judy Davey followed not too far behind coming 25th in 55:57 and winning her age category. Daughter Jo followed 4 places later in 56:47 and next was Pippa Westall who came 34th in 58:52. Tim Pepper, in his first race for the club, did really well to come 43rd in 1:00:51. Rebecca Stevens came 47th in 1:03:46 winning a category prize. Lorna Jarald thoroughly enjoyed the race finishing 57th in 1:08:50 having battled with Mandy Ward for much of the race. Mandy finished 2 places and 27 seconds later. Kathy Layzell completed the HRC line-up having enjoyed the race to come 79th in 1:16:40. There were 83 finishers. HRC’s Bea Knight and Emily Pepper took part in the Ug Fun Run with Bea winning overall for the girls coming 8th overall in 13:44 and Emily coming 21st overall in 17:17. There were 30 finishers and the winner was Harvey Green of AVR in 10:48. Thanks to the main race organisers Rick and Eleanor Wood for another well organised event as well as the marshals and landowners.

Sunday the 24th of June was the North Devon AONB Marathon and Half Marathon. With temperatures soaring there was not even a coastal breeze on the start line at Woolacombe to cool the 563 runners. The route was stunning and views were amazing as the marathon runners departed at 10am with a 15 minute head start before the half marathon race got underway. Water stops and food stations were every 2 miles and this certainly helped tremendously as the day hotted up. The race took in the coastline, the beach and steep climbs making it challenging from lots of different aspects. First home for Honiton was Mark Dallyn in a time of 2.08.16. Paula Ferris 2.14.31 Sharon Wells 2.37.26 and Claire Rouse 2.48.35. The half marathon was won in a time of 1.27.15 with a field of 403 finishers. Howard Bidmead our very own Chairman took on his role as “back marker” for the Half Marathon, motivating and encouraging along the route, getting every runner back safely. As the marathon runners passed through the half way point to take on the rest of the course they were cheered and spirits lifted by all the spectators willing them on as the second half of the course was known to be very testing. Honiton’s Mark Newson completed the Marathon in a fantastic time of 5.06.59 finishing 63 out of 160 runners. A fantastically organised event raising money for Hospicecare

Woodland Relays
Honiton Running Club joined Sidmouth RC, Axe Valley Runners, Exmouth, Met Office and runners from West Hill to take part in this year’s Woodland Relays hosted by Sidmouth Running Club. It was a fantastic scenic route starting on Observatory Hill above Sidmouth and going out through the woods towards the coast. With adults and juniors there were about 65 teams taking part and HRC made up 20 of them. HRC took home more than their fair share of prizes too with the senior ladies winning their category made up of Ceri Oak, Jo Davey and Sherrie Hair. The vet ladies’ team also won consisting of Judy Davey, Pippa Westall and Fran Bond. Exmouth won both the senior male and vet male team prizes. HRC also took the mixed prize with the team made up of Sherrie Hair, Adam Hennessey and Kevin Hawker. Special congratulations to Sherrie Hair who not only ran 2 legs for different teams ensuring both teams took a prize but she was also the fastest female of the night. Kevin also ran 2 legs and fell over cutting his hand badly on his first leg. Not to be beaten, whilst his 2nd runner was on the course he was patched up and managed to complete leg 3 which was part of the mixed winning team. After the event it was a quick trip to hospital to be stitched up. HRC juniors were also out in force and took prizes for coming 2nd and 3rd U16 male teams. The U11s did a shorter course and HRC girls came 1st and was made up of Bea Knight, Izzy Pollard and Ella Spiller. The U11 mixed team category was also won by HRC made up of Josie Willey, Alfie Harding and Emily Pepper and the HRC U11 boys came second. It’s fantastic to see juniors as young as 8 taking part in such event alongside those of much more mature years! Thanks to Sidmouth RC and especially Terry Bewes for putting on such a great event on a beautiful summer’s evening.
The woodland relay teams on Observatory Hill above Sidmouth before the fun began. Honiton RC won several categories: First Ladies Team (Sherrie, Ceri & Jo), First Mixed Team (Kev, Sherrie & Adam), and First Ladies Vet team (Judy, Fran & Pippa). Well done to all including the many Juniors. The results are now posted here.

Payhembury Duathlon
Honiton RC and Honiton Spinners came together to host a Duathlon based from Payhembury village hall on 3rd June. It was a lovely sunny day and 20 teams set out to do the run-bike-run challenge around east devon. The road resurfacing teams necessitated a last minute change to the bike route but everyone got round the revised route. Marcus Durant won the sole male team with a superfast bike ride and our own Sherrie Hair was the first solo ladies team. Team Spiller won the mixed team just beating team Ferris!. Alan Nicholls and his grandson Ashleigh (running) together with John Burgess (riding) won the all male team. Finally Sharon Wells (runner) and Joanne Davey (rider) won the all female team. The full results are here.

Women Can, Dorchester Marathon, Casterbridge Half and Edinburgh Marathon
It was a day of different marathons for Honiton runners on Sunday, 27th May. Four HRC members took part in the second running of the Women Can Marathon based at Tipton. The race was inspired by Kathrine Switzer who took part in the 1967 Boston Marathon when it was a men-only race proving that women are capable of running the 26.2 mile distance. Competitors could choose either to run the full marathon or as part of a relay team. Judy Davey and Clare Melbourne took on the full distance with Judy coming 7th in a time of 4 hours 12 minutes winning her age category. Clare came 48th in 5:35. There were 119 finishers and the winner was Catherine Cole in 3:50. Linda Pike and Mandy Ward joined together to run ½ marathon each. Linda ran first handing over to Mandy. They were 9th pair back in 4:43 out of 31 teams.
On the same day some HRC runners went to Dorchester to take part in the Dorchester Marathon and Casterbridge Half. Rachel Hennessey and Kathy Layzell took part in the full marathon with Rachel coming 409th in 5:13 and Kathy finishing 554th in 6:12. Kathy was raising money for MIND. There were 608 finishers. Five other HRC runners took on the ½ marathon. Mark Newson was first back for Honiton in the Half coming 58th in 1:42 followed by his wife Janice who came 286th in 2:05. Vanessa Knowles came 572nd in 2:27 with Debbie Vinnicome not too far behind in 2:30. There were 1019 finishers.
Emilie Tones took the prize for travelling the furthest for her marathon as she went to Edinburgh. She completed in 3:46 and was delighted with her time. She found the support from the crowd, her family and marshals amazing. She is running several races for The Mix with the next being 100k Race to the Stones; visit http://virginmoneygiving.com/EmTonesChallenge101 for more information.

May Handicap - Well done Joe!

Ottery 10k results here
Ottery10k2018.pdf

Beer Blazer
Last Sunday, several Honiton Running Club members took part in the Beer Blazer 10k based at Pecorama and run in aid of the primary school. This tough race takes in the hardest parts of the Grizzly including the length of Branscombe Beech and the infamous Stairway to Heaven. The race was won by Tim Lenton in 44 minutes 9 seconds. Mike Mears was the first back for HRC coming 4th overall in 49:17. Judy Davey had a battle with Howard Bidmead throughout and came 24th in 58:12 with Howard just 2 places and 19 seconds later. Jo Davey finished 29th in 59:42. Darren Roberts was next coming 43rd in 1:04:42 and Mandy Ward completed the HRC line-up to come 66th in 1:09:27. There were 107 finishers.

Clyst Hydon Huff
Honiton Running Club at the Clyst Hydon Huff. This is a 7 mile mixed terrain run into Ashclyst Forest with 2 big hills to climb which raises money for the local school. Despite the many other local races on this Sunday around 100 runners took part in the bright sunshine. Richard Harris was the first home for Honiton in a time of 50:14 and Ceri Oak was next, the 3rd lady across the line in a time of 52:45. Pippa Westall was the winner in the Vet 55 category in a time of 56:02. Olivia did a good time in 58:38 and Clare and Jay came in together in a time of 67:31 with Simon Gilbert close behind at 68:47. New member Lorna Jarrald did a time of 73:44 a good start to her HRC running. Robert Ellis was first in a time of 40:03 and Molly Chilton from Bristol was first lady back in 49:53. Finally little Oscar ran the 2km fun run around some big fields and was the fastest under 5, well done!.

Ottery 10k
Honiton Running Club hosted the Ottery 10k last Sunday with the base at Ottery Cricket Club. The weather was ideal for this road race and there were a record number of finishers with entries closing before the day of the event. The race was won by Andrew Chambers in a time of 33 minutes 15 seconds with the second finisher (David Hampton) coming over 1 ½ minutes later. Sam Hampton came 3rd in 35:24 with the first lady, Melanie Brooks, finishing in 40:44. Hannah Bown came 2nd in 42:54 and Chloe Fox was 3rd in 43:25. First home for HRC was Nick Silkstone who came 10th in 38:29. He was followed in by Mark Newson who came 41st in 43:32 and then came Hadleigh Davies in 58th in 46:06. Steve Selley came 60th in 46:19 and was followed right behind by Vernon Gillard in 46:21. The first lady for HRC was Paula Ferris who came 79th in 48:36 after leading the warm up for everyone before the start. Darren Roberts came 82nd in 48:50 and Jay Sweetman had a great run to come 91st in 50:04. Michelle Selley who had a pb for the distance came 100th in 50:41 and Linda Grady was pleased with her time coming 105th in 51:18. Mandy Ward came 164th in 55:59 and was followed by Tracey Perry in 186th in 57:16. Teresa Pollard completed the line-up to come 239th in 1:04:07. There was a fun run for younger children which was won by Sam Eyre and the 1st girl was HRC’s Jemima Daly. Just under 50 runners took part in this run.

Yeovilton 5K
On Wednesday evening 9th May 9 members of HRC took a minibus to Yeovil for the 2nd in a series of 5k runs organised by Yeovil town road running club. this is a flat 5k which starts & finishes at the RNAS Yeovilton, Yeovil. Of the 9 HRC runners 4 were adults and 5 were from the HRC Juniors. The weather stayed dry if a little cold but this only aided the runners once they were off. 1st back for HRC was Kevin Hawker in a time of 17min.10sec, 2nd back was Charlie Arnold ( junior ) in a great time of 18min 04sec, 3rd was Sam Gammon ( junior ) in 19min 56sec, 4th was Alfie Gibbins ( junior ) in 21min 48sec, 5th was Micheal Thomas ( junior ) in 22.08 and a PB for Micheal, 6th was Roger Saunders in 23min 07sec, 7th was Piper Leisk ( junior ) in 24min 05sec, 8th was Dawn Peek in 29min 32sec, Sadly Ashleigh Ford did not finish due to being ill and had to pull up just after the start with breathing problems. A great set of times all screamed in over the finish line by Fran Bond & Tony Peek, two very proud Junior coaches. This was the second in a set of 6 races to be held with the next four on the 13th June, 11th July, 8th Aug & 12th Sept. A great coarse for a PB. With Tea & cake on sale for those of you that come along to support. This really was a great race to have a go at, with club members looking forward to the next one in the series.

Brecon Beacons Trail 10k, Salzburg 10k and Cake Race
On 6th May, Honiton Running Club member Howard Bidmead travelled to South Wales to take part in the Brecon Beacons trail 10k organised by the Trail Events Company. These events are popular all over the country and consist of not only a 10k but also a 33 mile ultra, a marathon and a half marathon. The 10k ran the lower slopes of the Brecons with fabulous views over the Talybont reservoir and dam and far reaching views up to the higher peaks. Due to an error in the signage for the 10k some of the leading runners were directed onto the wrong route including Howard. By the time the mistake was realised the race had become just under 8 miles.
Howard has described the run as undulating with a few difficult climbs but the scenery was breathtaking. Despite being sent the wrong way Howard still finished in 20th position out of 197 finishers in a time of 1.05.46s. The race was won by Ben Lewis in 59.37S.

Olivia Higginson was a little further afield and ran the Salzburg 10k. It was part of the marathon weekend. Olivia was eally happy as she got a personal best time finishing in 50.26 over this flat course.

Carl Harrison also travelled to race at the weekend going to the Pennines. He took part in the Cake Race coming 58th in 1 hour 32. The winner was Ben Tetler in 1:10 and there were 205 finishers. This was a 10 mile race with 1700 ft of climb and if runners brought a home-made cake with them, they were able to get a refund of the race fee.

London Marathon and Jurassic Trail 10k
Last Sunday, 3 Honiton Running Club members joined the other 40,000 runners to take part in what proved to be the hottest London Marathon ever. Jo Davey was making her marathon debut and finished in a great time of 3 hours and 51 minutes. She had won the club’s draw giving her entry with the club’s England Athletics’ place. She thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and has been raising money for Exeter Leukaemia Fund. Esme Moffett ran London 2 years ago and has since had a baby. She struggled with injury and did well to finish in 3:53. Howard Bidmead had been given his place as a Christmas present and the plan was to run with his daughter in law. Unfortunately, she had to pull out so Howard was on his own. With a holiday to Australia getting in the way of training he did well to finish under 5 hours in 4:53.

Last Sunday, Mike Mears, Olivia Higginson, Mandy Ward and Asilah Jarrald did the Jurassic Trail 10k off road run. The second half was the tougher of the 2 with 2 big steep uphills followed by steep downhills. It was misty which meant it was humid but no bright sunshine but the mist did spoil any beautiful views. Mike finished in 46 minutes 17 seconds and was placed 1st vet 45. Olivia finished in 57:19, Mandy in 1:07:23 and Asilah 1:08:03.

April Handicap - Well done Steve!

Honiton Hippo and Calf 2018
Well done to everyone who took part in the Hippo and Calf races in extremely wet weather. Please find provisional results here:
Hippo
Calf
Please let us know of any anomalies - j.davey416@btinternet.com . We are aware that there are some calf results missing and we have had duplicate numbers recorded in the Hippo. Thank you.

Honiton Hippo and Calf
Honiton Running Club held its Hippo and Calf runs last Sunday with the base at Honiton Primary School. The weather and conditions under foot were probably the worst the Hippo has seen with rain all morning following a very wet few weeks prior to the event. This made it extremely muddy and times were slow compared to other years. 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 dunking into cold water. Runners soon came across two river crossings which were deeper than usual. Luckily help was on hand to pull runners out. The race was won by David Hampton in 51 minutes 41 seconds, Sam Hopton of SWRR was 2nd in 52:16 and Tim Lenton of AVR was 3rd in 53:12. First lady was Clare Hansford of AVR who finished in 1:04:55. Second lady was Eleanor Wood, also of AVR, in 1:08:06 and 3rd was Naomi Shaw in 1:10. Many Honiton RC members were involved in helping or marshalling but quite a few took part and the first back was Greg Morris who came 6th in 57:53. Emily Tones was the first HRC lady back coming 54th in 1:12:19. Ceri Oak and Pippa Westall both won their age category with Ceri coming 58th in 1:12:44 and Pippa 64th in 1:14:17.
Other Honiton runners put in great performances and many for the first time. These included:
13th Chris Entwistle 1:01:41, 24th Richard Harris 1:05:52, 33rd Rod Inglis 1:08:00, 37th Sam Pollard 1:08:53, 50th Stephen Boyes 1:12:07, 70th Hadleigh Davies 1:15:06, 74th Steve Selley 1:16:43, 84th Shane Hudd 1:19:03, 89th Linda Grady 1:20:44, 90th Josh Foundling-Hawker 1:20:31, 109th Lex Turnham 1:28:03, 140th Mandy Ward 1:36:29, 150th Carol Turnham 1:39:01 and 176th Pete Lyus 1:48:56.There were 209 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 and fast for them so they were directed back on the road. HRC’s own Charlie Arnold won the race in 11 minutes 48 seconds with Ben Perry of Axe Valley Runners coming 2nd in 12:24 and HRC’s Finn Upsher coming 3rd in 12:44. The first girl back was Libby Hockridge in 13:41 and 2nd girl was HRC’s Jemima Daly who came 8th overall in 14:16. She was followed just 17 seconds later by the 3rd girl, Hannah Carr. Other juniors running for HRC included: 4th Jake Johnson 13:05 (1st U13B), 5th Alfie Gibbins 13:08, 14th Piper Leisk 15:56, 15th Oliver Fountain 16:08, 17th Skye Symons 16:33, 24th Lara Turnham 18:11 (1st U16G), 26th Emma Pollard 18:22. There were younger HRC junior members running for their primary school team. The winning primary school this year was Sherwell Valley.
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 13th May. Visit www.honitonrc.com for more information.
At the same time, Olivia Higginson took part in the Combe St Nicholas 10k which was rearranged due to the snow. It was a very hilly course making Honiton seem flat. Olivia completed it in 53:20.

JP's Exe to Axe
On Sunday, 8th April several Honiton Running Club members travelled to Exmouth to take part in JP’s Exe to Axe race. This is a particularly challenging point to point run along the coastal path. The start is at Exmouth and runners go to Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Branscombe and Beer before reaching the finish at Seaton. There is about 4300 ft of climb and there was mud a plenty to sap the legs. Of course, there were some spectacular views to be had. First back for HRC was Kevin Hawker who came a fantastic 9th place in 3 hours 10 minutes. Adam Hennessey had missed the start by 2 minutes and had to pave his way through the runners in front to come 34th in 3:35. Alun Gwernan-Jones finished 72nd in 3:57. Steve and Judy Davey had run together and came 44th in 4:02. Carl Harrison followed coming 109th in 4:23. Paula Ferris and Mark Newson also ran together coming 142nd in 4:45 and they were followed by David Perkins who came 152nd in 4:50. Rachel Hennessey also missed the start but came 183rd in 5:21. Worth a special mention is Pip Vanham who had to retire at Sidmouth following an ankle injury having completed 13 miles. The race was won by Brenna Townshend in the amazing time of 2:44 and there were 199 finishers in the main race with several taking part in the relay race. All runners, without exception, found the race extremely tough. Thank you to all at Sidmouth Running Club for putting on such a well organised event.

Taunton Half Marathon and Marathon
Last Sunday, Taunton Half Marathon saw several Honiton Running Club members turn out for a road race with 1,066 runners taking part. The course started and finished at Taunton and Bridgwater College and after a brief run through the town headed out into the country. The course was gently undulating until the last three miles when two severe hills took their toll on several of the runners.
First back for Honiton was Mike Mears finishing in 129th position in 1.35.05. Howard Bidmead had a steady run and was pleased to finish in 271st position in 1.45.19 and was 3rd in the O60 Category. Rebecca Tydd was first of the Honiton ladies finishing 619th in 2.02.11. She was followed by Kelly Hall in 817th in 2.14.34. Andy Ashford was next in 889th place in 2.20.29 and Mandy Ward running her first half marathon finished 960th in 2.28.48. The race was won by Jamie Barnett from Teignbridge Trotters in 1.11.30. 183 runners took on the Marathon which was two loops of the half marathon course. Steve Boyes was running for Honiton and finished in 74th position in a very good time of 3.45.59 and was 3rd in the O60 category. The race was won by Toby Chapman from Bournemouth in 2.41.10.

Monsal Trail 10k & Kilmington Kanter
On 25th March, Olivia Higginson did the Monsal Trail 10km in Bakewell, Derbyshire. It is raced alongside a half marathon too. With the Monsal Trail being an old railway line, it was lovely and flat and the half way point was in a tunnel with this being the point where runners were turned around. Olivia was in Derbyshire for a wedding and due to the clocks changing it was an early start. She was 4th female and in a pb for this year of 51 minutes 33 seconds.

It proved to be a chilly Good Friday but that didn’t put off some hardy Honiton Running Club members who took on the Kilmington Kanter 7 mile multi-terrain race. Money raised from the race goes to Kilmington Primary School and with the base at the Cricket Club runners are taken across some very muddy fields, through woods with quite a bit on road. It is an undulating course with two particularly challenging hills. The race was won by James Green of Axe Valley Runners. First back for HRC was Adam Hennessey who came 8th overall in 48 minutes 4 seconds. He was followed by Phil Bartlett who came 22nd in 54:00. Next back was Mark Newson who came 28th in 55:21 and Richard Harris came 2 places and 35 seconds later. Sam Pollard was 32nd in 56:57 followed closely by Steve Davey 34th in 57:28 who was just 1 place and 43 seconds in front of Richard Harvey. The next 3 HRC runners came in one after the other with Mark Dallyn leading. He wasn’t feeling too great but managed to come 41st in 59:48 with Judy Davey, leading the HRC ladies, coming in 6 seconds later. Alasdair Moffett had run from home to Kilmington and gallantly let Judy finish first with his recorded time 2 seconds later. Howard Bidmead had a great run coming 46th in 1:00:35 and winning a hamper for coming 1st in his age category. Ceri Oak has been out of the racing scene recently but was pleased with her 48th place in 1:01:18. Pippa Westall has also been injured and finished 56th in 1:02:24. William Davis came 57th in 1:02:40. Linda Grady was next coming 70th in 1:08:16 followed right behind by Olivia Higginson in 1:09:18 and Rachel Hennessey in 1:10:47. Asilah Jarrald came 86th in 1:16:17 with Pip Vanham was not too far behind coming 89th in 1:18:46. There were 92 finishers and upon their return they were all treated to a seasonal hot cross bun.

Grizzly
Due to the adverse weather conditions last weekend, this year’s Grizzly was definitely different. The Grizzly itself was cancelled but runners were invited to run the shorter Cub route instead. This was 9 miles of extremely tough conditions with the terrain and weather being consistent – snow! About 1200 runners turned up to take part and it became more of a social run than a race. Honiton runners in finish order were; Kevin Hawker, Adam Hennessey, Tom Bornet, Will Daly, Nick Silkstone, Greg Morris, Rod Inglis, Richard Harris, Alun Gwernan-Jones, Steve Davey, Judy Davey, Roger Saunders, Hadleigh Davies, Tim Wigram, Simon Spiller, Michelle Selley, Nicola Greenland, Rachel Hennessey, Andy Ashford, Janice Newson, Mark Newson, Mark Andow, Alex Turnham, Carol Turnham, Linda Grady, Asilah Jarrald, Rebecca Stevens Karen Shaw, Joe Daly, Angus Hamilton, Teresa Pollard and Karen Hayes. Juliet Hall and Clare Melbourne also ran but their positions are unclear.
For some, even though the run was a challenge in itself, the hardest challenge was getting back home as the road conditions had deteriorated in the few hours since runners had travelled to Seaton.
We always thank marshals, organisers and everyone else involved but this year they need an extra special thank you. Conditions for them were worse than for the runners as they were exposed the elements for a longer period. Tony Smith, as Race Director, and the Axe Valley Runners Grizzly Committee had to make some very tough decisions for the safety everyone. A massive thank you to all and congratulations on managing to put on such an event where the comradery of competitors, marshals and organisers was second to none.
here to edit.

March Handicap - well done Jennie!

Bideford Half Marathon
Sixteen Honiton Running Club members took part in the Bideford Half Marathon last Sunday. This is sold as a ‘swift half’ as it is fairly flat. The race starts in Bideford and goes out on the main road towards Great Torrington before runners are turned back at the half way point onto the Tarka Trail. The road section is undulating but the Tarka Trail is dead flat. This means it is a well-known course for runners to obtain a personal best time. The race was won by Shaun Antell in a time of 1 hour 8 minutes and 39 seconds. First back for HRC and leading the Honiton ladies home was Sherrie Hair who came 113th in 1:31:01 winning a bottle of champagne and trophy for winning her category. Mark Newson was next back coming 135th in 1:33:13. Jo Davey, in her first ever half marathon, stormed around to come 158th in 1:34:42. She was followed by her mum, Judy, who came 191st in 1:36:40 being a pb of 3 minutes and winning her category. Steve Davey completed the Davey trio to come just 2 places and 5 seconds behind Judy. Richard Harvey was next in 218th place in 1:38:29 and he was followed by Richard Harris who came 240th in 1:39:39. Emilie Tones came 301st in 1:42:04 and Vernon Gillard was happy with his 322nd and 1:42:53 having recently returned from eating and drinking too much on an all-inclusive holiday. Jennie Sleeman came 3rd in her category coming 505th in 1:51:05. Darren Roberts came 560th in 1:53:27 and Pip Vanham came 942nd in 2:11:11.Tony Peek suffered injury around 8 miles and finished with his wife, Dawn, coming 1120th in 2:25:28 and Dawn 1122nd and 2:26:01. Rachel Mandrupson came 1148th in 2:29:13 and Vanessa Glyn Jones completed the HRC line-up taking 1st prize in her category coming 1187th in 2:36:11. There were 1263 finishers.

February Handicap
Well done Hadleigh!

Dalwood 3 Hills
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 start of the really cold spell and most runners donned another layer respecting the conditions. At least it was dry but very hard underfoot with the ground being frozen. Adam Hennessey was the first back for HRC coming 6th overall in 1 hour 13 minutes and 21 seconds. Nick Silkstone is used to it being cold as he only came back from 4 months in Antarctica last week. He came 11th in 1:17:01. Alasdair Moffett followed to come 21st in 1:22:06 and hot on his heels was young Will Daly who finished 48 seconds later. Rod Inglis was next coming 28th in 1:27:47. Steve Davey came 37th in 1:33:13 and his wife Judy was far too close behind for his liking! She came in just 1 place and 14 seconds later winning her age category prize. Mark Dallyn finished 45th in 1:37:01 and Tim Wigram came 55th in 1:41:33. David Perkins managed to fall over before he began the race and came 60th in 1:43:00. Paula Ferris was 2nd lady back for HRC coming 67th in 1:47:34 followed by Linda Grady 74th in 1:50:46. Joe Daly completed the line-up to come 93rd in 2:12:54. There were 98 finishers and the race was won by James Green in 1:05:41.
Oscar Devine took part in the fun run coming 27th in 18:48. There were 30 finishers. Thanks to Dalwood Run Committee, the landowners and marshals for another great Dalwood race.

Hestercombe Humdinger & Hamilton Island Park Run
Four of Honiton Running Club’s ladies took part in the Herstercombe Humdinger Half Marathon on Sunday, 11th February. This is a challenging course run on quiet country roads through the Quantock Hills. The base is at Wellsprings Leisure Centre in Taunton. The race was won by Kieron Summers in a time of 1 hour 18 minutes. First back for Honiton was Jennie Sleeman coming 112th overall and 2nd in her category in 1:56:54. Rachel Hennessey was next back coming 127th in 2:01:11 followed by Pip Vanham who came 173rd in 2:23:17. Kathy Layzell was just 4 seconds later. There were 187 finishers.
Meanwhile Howard Bidmead has been travelling slightly further afield and on trip to Australia, he took part in the Hamilton Island 5k Park Run. It starts at 7am as it is so hot but it was still 29 degrees even at that time. They had three water stops en route and Howard made use of them all. It was a beautiful course along the bay but with two steep albeit short climbs. There were only 28 runners and Howard was 6th in 23.06 saying he’s run slower in Park Runs at home. They even had a Kangaroo join in bounding along at the side of the road.

Fulfords 5
Several Honiton Running Club members braved a cold chilling wind to take part in the well organised Fulfords Five Race in Exmouth last Sunday. The race starts and finishes in the square with two laps going out along the sea front before a slight climb and then turning runners back in towards the town centre. The race was won by Shaun Bantell of Bideford Running Club in a time of 24 minutes 48 seconds. First back for Honiton was Carl Harrison in 68th in 34.30. He was followed by: Emilie Tones in 80th in 35.42, Darren Robert in 114th in 38.26, Tony Peek in 153rd in 40.40, Olivia Higginson in 199th in 43.47,Anna Dalzell in 204th in 44.15, Vanessa Knowles in 217 in 44.59 and Debbie Vinnicombe in 232 in 46.43. There were 326 finishers. This was an almost flat 5 mile race with only 217ft of elevation gain.

Cursa Moritz St Antoni 10k and Blackdown Beast
On Sunday, 21st January, Honiton Running Club’s Olivia Higginson ran the 40th Cursa Moritz St Antoni 10km in Barcelona. This is a flat route which she shared with 4999 other runners. Olivia was delighted to be able to run a 10k after years of battling injury and she was very happy with her time of 56 minutes 26 seconds.

Last Saturday, a record number of over 200 runners set off to take part in Honiton Running Club’s Blackdown Beast. There was a record amount of mud and other farming substances too. The 16 ½ miles is very tough with plenty of hills to sap the legs. Runners come from far and wide and about 20 HRC runners took part. The event is a social run with several stops on route taking in the scenery of the beautiful Blackdown Hills if runners could see them through the thick drizzle which was the theme for the day. However, the weather could have been worse with the forecast for rain all day. The event began and ended at the Highfield Sport and Social Club, Dunkeswell. The first stop, after 7 ½ miles, was Smeatharpe Village Hall where participants were treated to delicious hot sweet mulled cider and equally delicious warming pasties. Thanks to the ladies of the WI for making and serving this very welcome sustenance. The next stop was the Sidmouth Arms, Upottery where some runners took the opportunity of taking a mini bus back to Dunkeswell having completed 10 miles. For others, it was on to the Luppitt Inn; one of the smallest pubs in the country! Organisers made sure the family knew runners were coming as opening times are flexible! The shortish last leg then takes runners across private land back to Dunkeswell.

As always all participants thoroughly enjoyed the day with many looking forward to the summer version; the Blackdown Beauty. The date has been set for 15th July and places are likely to go fast for this event too so look out for further information on www.honitonrc.com and to register your interest very soon. Thanks to everyone who made the event possible including the landowners. Money raised will go to Macmillan Cancer Support.

January Handicap - well done Adam.

Honiton Puzzle Trail Run Results
The final order of those who did the puzzle trail is listed below. The number of correct answers takes precedence over the time taken. I took the answers on the forms I have. Well done to Alex and Carol who were the clear winners despite starting last. 4 teams got all the correct answers.

Axmouth Challenge
Honiton Running Club had a great turnout for the Axmouth Challenge last Sunday. There were 4 choices of distance to race and all of the HRC adults took on the 9 mile race. This is half on road and half off road and the mud was not as bad as it often is so finishing times were generally good. First back for Honiton was Rod Inglis who came 15th in 1 hour 10 minutes and 22 seconds. Steve Davey followed coming 20th in 1:14:02. His daughter, Jo, was hot on his heels having had the run of her life. She came 4th lady overall and just 13 seconds behind Steve. Jo managed to knock nearly 14 minutes off her time of 2 years ago. Richard Harris followed having been overtaken by Jo in the later stages.He came 28th in 1:15:22 and Judy Davey followed 1 place behind in 1:16:44. She also had a great race knocking nearly 5 minutes off last year’s time and coming 3rd lady vet. Howard Bidmead was taking it steadily as he is off to Australia next week and wants to do a ‘down under’ Park Run without injury. He came 38th in 1:18:32 and was followed by Roger Saunders who came 48th in 1:21:21. Pippa Westall was chasing Roger to the finish line and finished 2 places and 7 seconds later. Rebecca Stevens thoroughly enjoyed the race to come 75th in 1:29:47. She was followed by Rachel Hennessey just 2 places and 17 seconds later. Linda Grady came 79th in 1:33:49 reporting that she thought it was a tougher race than she had bargained for. Alex Turnham came 87th in 1:38:07 and her mum-in- law Carol completed the line-up for HRC coming 92nd in 1:45:23. There were 98 finishers and runners were treated to delicious bacon butties, warm soup and cakes upon their return.
Other distances on offer were 5 mile and 3 mile races but two of the HRC youngsters took part in the 1 mile fun run. Emily Pepper came 16th overall in 12:44 with Oscar Devine coming 21st in 14:26. There were 26 finishers and the race was won by Kai Martin in 9:53.

Beginner Runner Course
An 8 week beginner runners course has started on Monday 8 Jan at 6:40 from the Community College. More details, contacts and booking are here.

Otterton Reindeer Run
On Saturday, 2nd December several Honiton Running Club members took part in the Otterton Reindeer Run. This is a mainly off road 10k route and with many runners wearing Santa outfits or dressed as elves, it is a very festive affair. Ben Stone was first back for HRC coming 3rd overall in 38 minutes 27 seconds after taking several wrong turns. Rod Inglis was next back coming 20th male in 43:15 followed closely by Mark Newson who came 23rd in 43:41. The final male runner was Sam Pollard who came 38th in 48:18. Emilie Tones was first lady back for HRC and 6th lady overall. She finished in 47:54 and was followed by Paula Ferris who was 11th lady in 51:18. Asilah Jarrald was 49th in 60:06, Clare Melbourne and Janice Newson ran together coming 62nd in 62:55. Once the runners had finished the festive theme continued with runners being treated to a cup of mulled wine and a mince pie served in a souvenir mug.

Full Monty Cute
The Full Monty Cute 10 mile off road race took place last Sunday. The base is at Ham Hill in Somerset and is organised by Crewkerne Running Club. It is a very tough race which boasts 10 hills including a couple that offer runners assistance with strategically placed ropes to pull yourself up with. Richard Harris completed it in 1 hour 36 minutes coming 85th and Pippa Westall finished in 1:47 coming 136th. They were both pleased with their times as they have not been able to do much training recently. The race was won by Philip Bridge in 1:07 and 257 runners completed the race.

Predicta Run Thanks to everyone for turning up on a wet evening. The results are above and congratulations to Peter Morgan for guessing the time closest to his actual run time.

Bicton Blister & Bicton Lite
Bicton College was the venue for the Bicton Blister and Lite races last Sunday and on a cold frosty day several Honiton Running Club members took part. The Blister is a 10 mile multi-terrain race mainly on Woodbury Common. The races are very popular and for the first time ever there were no entries accepted on the day as it was full. The later start of 11am meant that it wasn’t quite as cold as runners had first feared and the ground was muddy in places rather than hard with frost. Jim Cole won the race in the brilliant but frustrating time of 1 hour and 1 second. First back for HRC was Ben Stone who came a fantastic 8th place in 1:05. Gavin Rice followed coming 80th in 1:19:17 with Steve Davey hot on his heels coming 1 place and 6 seconds later. Steve Selley was next back coming 87th in 1:19:56 followed by Mark Dallyn 89th in 1:20:21. Richard Harvey followed soon after coming 96th in 1:20:43. Judy Davey led the HRC ladies home to come 126th in 1:23:48 and winning her age category. Howard Bidmead followed coming 137th in 1:24:18 also winning a trophy for 2nd in his age category. Next in was Roger Saunders who came 146th in 1:25:21. Jo Davey came 152nd in 1:26:11 and Jennie Sleeman came 239th in 1:35:40 coming 2nd in her category. Rebecca Stevens, 246th in 1:36:37, was followed by Kathy Layzell who came 326th in 1:45:22. Completing the HRC line-up was Pip Vanham who came 376th in 1:52:49. There were 439 finishers.
Also on offer was the Blister’s little brother, the Bicton Lite. This starts at the same time as the Blister and begins on the same route. At 13, Jasmine Stone is too young for the Blister so took on the Lite. This she did in great style coming 3rd lady in 36:15 and 12th place overall. The winner was Ben Sheridan who finished in 31:38. There were 140 finishers.

November Handicap
November Handicap was a busy one with 27 runners venturing out. Good to see lots of new runners trying out the route and the faithful ones trying to push down their 5k time.

Vanessa was the worthy winner of last nights Handicap, she regularly turns up to support this training session and last night she pushed hard and kept some runners taking 1 minute of their PB behind her, well done. Also Peaky worked to pull a blinder (that’s my last Peaky Blinder reference) but with so many new and/or returning runners it was hard to push into the top half of the results. Tony’s 11 place has given him a points total that is only 0.2 points behind Darren Roberts for the top spot. So it will come down to the last run of the year to see who wins the Handicap Trophy for 2017.

Thanks to Sharon, Roger, Suzanne and Joe for helping with a fun night.

Simon

Bideford 10 Miles & Drogo 10Nine Honiton Running Club members took themselves off to Bideford, North Devon for a chilly, windy but dry race on Sunday, 5th November. The race was the final one in a series of 3 (the half Marathon & 10k being the other two) and if runners got all three medals they inter link to make one. Some of the members were at Bideford for the 3rd time this year and for others it was the only time. With nearly 1000 runners it was busy but as normal very well organised. The route goes towards Barnstaple for 5 miles until getting to Yelland where runners join the flat Tarka Trail back to Bideford. First back for Honiton was Vernon Gillard in 1 hour 13 minutes and 53 seconds with Carl Harrison just 4 seconds later. Next back was Tony Peek who was really pleased with his time, starting right at the back and picking runners off along the route he finished in 1.21.46 with Jennie Sleeman being the 1st HRC lady back in 1.23.08. Other HRC runners: Duncan Driver 1.30.05, Claire Rouse 1.30.14, Kathy Layzell 1.30.16, Pip Vanham 1.36.54 & Rachel Mandrupson in 1.46.57 who was pleased to finish after being injured for the last couple of months but nothing was going to stop her getting her 3rd bit of bling. 1st male to finish was Shaun Antell in 51.59 and 1st female was Hannah Taunton in 1.00.34. A great race with lovely views along the Tarka Trail and support on route. HRC will be back next year.

Last Sunday, several HRC members took on the off road Drogo 10 mile race. The base is in the grounds of Castle Drogo and the route goes out to Fingle Bridge when runners tackle the first of two hills giving views over the Teign Valley when the top is eventually reached. On the way back the route follows the River Teign for 2 miles before going up the infamous Hunter’s Path. First back for HRC was Alasdair Moffet in 57th place in the fantastic time of 1 hour 19 minutes. Rod Inglis followed just 2 places later in 1:20. Mark Newson finished 73rd in 1:23 with Steve Davey not too far behind in 1:24. Steve Selley finished 115th in 1:26. Jo Davey was the first lady back for Honiton coming 135th in 1:28. Last year, Jo’s mum Judy beat her by 10 seconds but this year the roles were reversed with Judy coming in just 11 seconds after Jo. New HRC runner, Rebecca Stevens had a great run coming 230th in 1:40 with Anne Carter following closely coming 235th in 1:41. Clare Melbourne was next back coming 321st in 1:53 and then Janice Newson 333rd in 1:55. There were 396 finishers and the race was won by Tom Merson in 58 minutes.

Templer 10
Last Sunday saw 3 Honiton Running Club members take on the Templer 10 multi terrain 10-mile race starting and finishing in the wonderful grounds of Stover School, Newton Abbot. The course is 90% off road and runners have the pleasure of running through the picturesque Stover Country Park as well as the fields at Teigngrace. The weather was cool but ideal for running despite some head winds at times. The course was flat in comparison to many of the off road runs HRC are used to but slippery fields after the previous night’s heavy rain in the early part of the race took their toll. At the finish runners were given a well-earned cup of tea using the finishers’ mug memento. The race was won by Brennan Townshend in 57 minutes 22 seconds. First back for Honiton in fantastic 9th position in 1:04:11 was Ben Stone. He was followed by Mark Newson who came 54th in 1:15:28 followed soon after by Mark Dallyn who finished 71st in 1:17:45. Fantastic times for all 3. There were 270 finishers.

Exmoor Trail Running Events
Honiton runners Mark Dallyn and Howard Bidmead travelled to the Exmoor coast in North Devon last Sunday to take part in the Exmoor trail running events. Mark tackled the half marathon and Howard the 10k. This was pure trail running with both distances starting in the Doone valley before ascending the longest climb on Exmoor of nearly 3 miles. The runners were met with a variety of weather conditions from sun, drizzle and a chilly wind once at the top of the moor. At the top stunning views across the Severn estuary towards South Wales made the strenuous Climb worth the effort.From here Howard descended back towards the finish area and crossed the line in 59m 58s to finish first in his age group. Mark continued on the longer route where the race took in the South West Coast path. Mark enjoyed his run and took some amazing photographs. He finished in 2hr. 33m.

Exmoor Stagger and Stumble
Seven Honiton Running Club members took the trip to Minehead last Sunday to take part in the 20th anniversary of the Exmoor Stagger or Stumble. Storm Brian was still prevalent albeit just his tail. It didn’t feel like that as runners got closer to the highest point in Somerset, Dunkery Beacon. The rain was lashing and Brian seemed to be blowing his hardest. However, the weather could have been worse with sun actually coming out in the breaks of the showers. The race is 16 miles long with an ascent of over 3600 feet. The race was won by James Baker in 1 hour 54 minutes. Alasdair Moffett was the first back for HRC coming 46th in 2:28. Steve Davey was next back having followed Richard Harris for most of the race overtaking him in the latter stages. Steve came 72nd in 2:39 and Richard came 81st in 2:45. Judy Davey was the first HRC lady back coming 88th in 2:47 and winning a trophy as a category prize. Mark Dallyn had run with Judy for most of the race and came 92nd in 2:49.Pippa Westall was delighted to finish under 3 hours coming 116th in 2:58. There were 202 finishers. Howard Bidmead is beginning to know his limits and tackled the shorter Stumble. This race is 10k and boasts an ascent of over 1000 feet. Both races boast glorious views over Minehead. The race was won by Ben Tull in 40 minutes 12 seconds and Howard came 22nd in 54 minutes. He came 2nd in his age category and there were 97 finishers.
Great South Run
Roger Saunders, Bridget Taviner and Claire Rouse travelled to the south coast to do the Great South Run which is a 10 mile run that takes in Old Portsmouth, the Dockyard, and multiple passes along the sea front with the last 2 miles into the wind. Roger had somehow missed the fact that there 20,000 other runners in the race and so found he was not able to stretch his legs for the first 5 miles but still managed to finish in 1:18:13. Claire really enjoyed the route and finished in a very respectable time of 1:34:10. This was Bridget's first long race and was pleased to finish in a time of 1:45:07 and really enjoyed the route. The race was won by Chris Thompson in a time of 00:48:32.

This Week

13/08/2018

Club Calendar

Mon-Wed nights meet at 6:30pm at Honiton Community College unless
advised otherwise below.

In Winter Hi Vis Essential for club runs
Monday
M/T run from Kathy Layzell's place. From Honiton towards Dunkeswell, stay on road, pass lake view manor turning heading towards Smeatharpe, then take 2nd on left after LakeView turning then 1st on left signed Bywood farm. Or ride share from HCC. Postcode EX14 4SS. Cake after.
Tuesday No juniors
Wednesday
Cotleigh 5K handicap run. Register at Cotleigh village hall by 6:40.
Thursday
No activity.
Friday
Faster group - meet Honiton Market Car Park - 7.6 miles - Cotleigh loop
Steadier paced group if confirmed by Tony
Saturday
Killerton Parkrun at 9am
Exeter Parkrun at 9am
Seaton Parkrun at 9am
Exmouth Parkrun at 9am.
Sunday

Maps and Parking here

Club Kit Page

Order Form for kit here

Page Editors
Judy, Roger

October Handicap - Well done Andy!

Great West Run, Mrs E's Big Wheeze and Studland Stampede
Honiton Running Club members were definitely out in force last Sunday travelling to at least 3 different venues.Wherever they went the runners were treated to ideal weather conditions. First was Exeter’s Great West Run which saw 27 members taking part. There were many highs and lows with several members achieving personal best times and others just missing out on their target time and some racing for HRC for the first time. First home was Kevin Hawker who came 31st in a fantastic time of 1:20. Adam Hennessey finished in 1:27 and was delighted as was Steve Selley who finished in 1:36. Judy Davey and Emilie Tones had lined up at the start together and although they saw little of each other during the race, they finished with a battle for the line with Judy crossing it first but Emilie being given 1 second faster chip time. Judy was delighted to find out that this was good enough for her age category prize. Both finished in 1:41 which was a great pb for Emilie.
Other results: Carl Harrison 1:42, Stuart Turnham 1:46, Paula Ferris 1:46, Darren Roberts 1:48, Tony Peek 1:51, Jennie Sleeman 1:51, Andy Ashford 1:53, Lin Pike 2:00, Wendy McDermott 2:02, Rachel Hennessey 2:02, Charlotte McKechnie 2:03, Lex Turnham 2:03, Peter Bishop 2:05, Claire Rouse 2:09, Duncan Driver 2:09, Hannah Kelly 2:12, Claire Staniforth 2:12, Debbie Vinnicombe 2:17, Kate Harding 2:17, Katherine Tomkins 2:18, Dawn Peek 2:21 and Onreuthai Lush 2:23. Thanks to all the HRC supporters en route but special thanks to Tony Peek who has organised a training programme helping others achieve their goals and also for organising and driving the mini bus.
Five HRC runners took part in Mrs E’s Big Wheeze based in Uplyme. This is a 10k multi-terrain run which begins with a mile long hill. The race was won by 15 year old Chet Gillespie of Axe Valley Runners in 40:33. Ben Stone came 3rd overall in 41:41 with Rod Inglis next back for HRC coming 6th in 46:15. Steve Davey came 9th in 48:44 and his daughter Jo came 20th and 5th lady in 54:26. Kathy Layzell completed Honiton’s line-up to come 33rd in 1:02:41. There were 46 finishers. This race was the last in the East Devon Race Series for 2017 organised by Axe Valley Runners which saw HRC as the overall team winner. The first two places were taken by AVR runners Eleanor Wood and Matt Clist with Honiton’s Rod Inglis coming 3rd. Thank you for a very well organised run with enthusiastic marshals and organisers.
Another event was the Studland Stampede. A 12k run starting and finishing on Studland Beach in Dorset. Nine club members travelled down for this stunning scenic run on Studland Heath with its hills and fabulous views across Poole Harbour. As soon as the run started Mark Newson led the way. He had a fine run finishing 63rd in 58.25. Howard Bidmead caught Roger Saunders around 2k and then ran with Richard Harris for most of the rest of the race. With 3k to go the sand dunes started to sap the energy and the 2k run along the beach to the finish is never ending. It was here that Howard was glad to finish as Richard had pushed all the way and finished just behind. Howard was 82nd in 1.00.17s and Richard 84th in 1.00.24. Next home was Roger Saunders finishing 92nd in 1.01.19. Pippa Westall was the first of the Honiton ladies and had a fabulous run which she was rightly proud of. She finished 127th in 1.04.39. Janice Newson was next finishing 308th in 1.17.46. Other Honiton finishers. Anne Carter 382nd in 1.25.41. Asilah Jarrald 383rd in 1.25.42 and Teresa Pollard 394th in 1.28.24.There were 441 finishers and the race was won by Craig Palmer from Littledown Harriers in 44.47s.