WELCOME TO HONITON RUNNING CLUBWe are based in Honiton, East Devon, Southwest England and spend our lives running through some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK.
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HRC Events
Blackdown Beast
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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. 
Minster Challenge
Axe Valley Community College’s Minster Challenge took place last Sunday with runners thinner on the ground than in previous years. This is a tough 7 ½ mile mainly off road run through the countryside around Axminster. The going was very muddy following heavy rainfall in the preceding week. James Denne won the race in 47 minutes 53 seconds and Ben Stone was the first runner back for Honiton Running Club in 7th place in 54:10. Rod Inglis was next back having driven to Axmouth before the race thinking the base was there! He came 13th in 1:00:05 and although Steve Davey was only one place later he was over 4 minutes behind finishing in 1:04:23 using the excuse that he turned his ankle over during the race stopping him in his tracks for a few seconds. First HRC lady back was Judy Davey who had overtaken daughter Jo as she stopped to remove a thorn from her toe. Judy came 19th in 1:08:39 with Jo finishing just 10 seconds later. There were 35 finishers. HRC’s Jasmine and Harri Stone took part in the 3k race. Jasmine did brilliantly to finish 2nd overall and 1st female in 22:40. Harri was not too far behind coming 9th in 28:11. The winner was Daniel Rowe who finished in 21:30 and there were 20 finishers. Stockland Scamper, Windsor Parks Half Marathon and Killerton 10k
Several Honiton Running Club members took part in the local Stockland Scamper organised by Stockland Primary School PTFA with the help of Axe Valley Runners. It turned out that it was a never to be forgotten race for those who took part. Unbeknown to the lead runners they had disturbed a hornets’ nest about a mile from the finish. This was in a very narrow lane and depriving the hornets of a Sunday lie-in meant they were not just angry, they were livid! First of all they stung the odd runner before coming into the middle of the lane as a swarm. Runners were upon them before they knew what was happening and all they could do was run through them as fast as they could. Most runners fell victim to at least one sting and many suffered multiple stings. Matt Clist won the race in 39 minutes 40 seconds and the first HRC runner back was Adam Hennessey who came 9th in 45:30. Nick Silkstone followed in 11th place in 46:41 and Rod Inglis came in 21st place in 50:12 with Steve Davey coming one place later in 52:13. Roger Saunders had a great run winning his age category to come 27th in 54:15. First Honiton lady was Jo Davey who came 29th overall and 4th lady in 55:52 just ahead of her mum Judy who came 32nd in 56:39. Tim Wigram came 38th in 58:35. Stockland’s principal, David Perkins, was dressed as Batman following a raffle amongst the primary school’s children to decide what David would be dressed as. David did extremely well feeling very hot under his costume although it did act as pretty good protection against the hornets getting away with just one sting. Paula Ferris was 45th in 1:01:37 and Charlotte McKenzie 53rd in 1:07:49. Asilah Jarrald, Mandy Ward and Rachael Hennessey finished together in 57th place and 1:09:55. The final HRC runner was fairly new member Pip Vanham 63rd in 1:13:14. There were 67 finishers. Runners were treated to a well-deserved slice of chocolate brownie on their return. Thank you to chief organiser Emma Parris who had a very stressful time dealing with the hornet casualties on top of the usual race organisation. Thanks also to the marshals and landowners for what, despite the hornets, was another fantastic event. Definitely a race with a sting in the tail! Meanwhile Emilie Tones took part in the Windsor Parks Half Marathon as part of her training for the Great West Run. She had a fantastic race to finish in 1 hour 44 minutes finding it sunny and hot. Six HRC ladies took part in a very hilly and tough 10k around the beautiful gardens and woods of the National Trust at Killerton. With so many people taking part different groups were set off in waves so there was no telling who had won until the very end. 1st back for Honiton was Geri Terry in 1 hour 10 minutes. Anna Dalzell was next in a good time of 1:14, followed by Debbie Vinnicombe in 1:15. Next back was Kate Harding who only joined HRC in January as one of the beginners in a time of 1:18. Dawn Peek finished in 1:22 with Rachel Mandrupson close on her heels in 1:23. With 1140 ft of climb, the hills were so steep the ladies were almost all walking them! The overall winner was Ynon Gablinger in 41.26. September Handicap - Well done Josh!
Mile Hill Challenge - click for results
Jurassic Coast 10k and Lustleigh 10k
Honiton Running Club’s Kathy Layzell and Rachel Hennessey took part in the Jurassic Coast 10k on 26th August which starts and finishes in Budleigh Salterton. Rachel came 146th and finished in 1 hour 22 seconds with Kathy finishing in 1 hr 5 minutes and 186th place. They found it very congested for the first mile and then the heat had an effect on them both meaning that they were 5mins slower than last year! The race was won by David Bruce in 35:32 and there were 290 finishers. Seven HRC runners completed the beautiful Lustleigh 10k on Bank Holiday Monday which was held as part of the Lustleigh Village Show in its 130th Year. Runners not only had the hills of Dartmoor to contend with but the race started at midday with the hot Bank Holiday weather adding to the tough challenge. First home for Honiton in 3rd place overall was Kevin Hawker in 40:28 managing to make his way through the field after a slow start. Next home in 11th place was Alasdair Moffett in 46:18 after a hard week of training for his upcoming ultra-run. Next came Mark Newson 28th place in 49:33 having had a great run, then in 49th place was Mark Dallyn who was pleased with his run in a good time of 53:34, 78th place saw Esme Moffett in her first race for a while in 1:00:06. Anne Carter came 113th and enjoyed the race finishing in 1:07:04 and Janice Newson 1:12:41 who said it was more like torture than a race in 132nd Place. The men’s team has a fantastic result winning the team prize beating Torbay Athletic Club which was some achievement. Kevin was also pleased to restock the wine rack for his wife Wendy with the prizes won. After the race and a quick wipe down the Village Show could be enjoyed with lots of activities taking place; one for the calendar next year. 
Race the Train
Seven Honiton Running Club members took the long journey to Tywyn in mid Wales to take part in the Rotary Club’s Race the Train event. There were several races to choose from but all the HRC members took on the main 14 mile race. The race starts with the whistle of the train as it leaves the station and goes out to the end of the railway line where the train turns around and returns whilst runners follow a slightly different route back to the one they ran out on. Following torrential rain during the night, there were rumours on social media that the train and/or the race may have to be cancelled but luckily this was unfounded. However, it did mean that the terrain was particularly challenging with more mud than the race has ever seen which made climbing half way up a mountain even harder. The event has the reputation of always having rain on the day and with a quick rain shower mid race this was not disproved although the conditions were mainly ideal with a cooling breeze for much of it. The train took 1 hour 47 minutes and unfortunately all HRC runners took a little longer! Mark Newson finished 217th in 1:58 with Steve Davey not too far behind in 226th in 1:59. Judy Davey came 325th in 2:07 managing 2nd in her age category. Judy had a battle for positions for the first 6 miles with Howard Bidmead but pulled away after that point. Howard came 484th in 2:19. Clare Melbourne and Janice Newson ran together to finish 696th in 2:43. Clare loves a good Park Run and couldn’t miss the opportunity to run the Aberystwyth one even though she knew she was doing 14 miles later in the day. Her partner Jay Sweetman, who is nursing an injury came 751st in 2:54. There were 830 finishers. Thanks to chief supporter and photographer Helen. Jurassic Coast 10k & Forest Flyer
Sunday 6th August saw 3 Honiton Running Club runners taking the short trip to West Bay for the 5th running of the Bridport Runners’ Jurassic Coast 10k. For the second year running a half marathon took place alongside the 10k. Howard Bidmead and Janice Newson took on the 10k whilst Mark Newson ran the half. Both races started together and followed the same course with a steep climb on the coastal path towards Eype and then came Thorncombe Hill, the second highest point on the south coast. From here the half marathon route continued to Seatown and the 10k runners made their way back to West Bay and the finish. Howard, who seems to have recovered from recent injuries, had a super run finishing 8th overall and first in the O60 category in a time of 58 minutes 8 seconds. Janice found the warm conditions and hills tough but still had a great run finishing 48th in 1.16.23. There were 76 finishers. The race was run by Adam Gale in 47. 25. Mark has been running really well of late and this continued with a fine run in the half marathon finishing in a time of 2.01.03 and 22nd overall. There were 78 finishers. The half marathon was won by Ruth Barnes in 1.35.16 and seven minutes ahead of the second finisher and first male. On Friday, 11th August 4 HRC runners took part in the Forest Flyer at Haldon Woods. This is a lovely 5 mile trail run. Mark Newson was first back for Honiton coming 25th in 35:42. Anne Carter and Asilah Jarrald battled against each other throughout taking over each other many times during the race. However, Anne got the better of Asilah at the finish resulting in Anne coming 86th in 45:22 with Asilah right behind in 45:45. Rachel Hennessy felt a bit queasy during the run probably because she had given blood the night before but she did well to come 105th in 48:55.
August Handicap - Well done Kate!
Straight 8
Two members from Honiton Running Club took part in the first ever Greenbow Running Club’s Straight 8 last Saturday evening which was hot and sunny. The race is an 8 mile one way from Starcross, Nr Dawlish to Exeter Quay. The flat race takes you along the paths beside the estuary and canal, with beautiful views of the deer in the grounds of Powderham Castle with boats on the water and swans swimming. The race passes two pubs and over a bouncy bridge just before the end. Dawn Peek was pleased with her time, 1 hr 24 mins, coming in 103 out of 150 runners, although she found it very hot and struggled with mile 6 she did finish strongly. It may have been the thought of having pizza at the end of the run. There was a great crowd and finishers were rewarded with a medal and goody bag as well as pizza. Tony Peek came 104th using the race as a steady run keeping Dawn company along the route. First back was Adam Main in a time of 52min 21sec. 
Bath Running Festival
Michelle Selley ran the 16 mile off Bath Running Festival road race on Sunday 23rd July.Conditions were wet and slippery but Michelle managed the tough run which took in the beautiful hills and valleys around Bath and even went up the famous Solsbury Hill. Michelle continues her great running form and was the 14th lady home in a field of 68 in a time of 2 hours 44. 
Dalwood Fayre 10k
Honiton Running Club members didn’t have to travel too far for last Sunday’s race. It was the Dalwood Fayre 10k multi-terrain. The weather started off a little muggy but about half way around the course it began to rain lightly before the heavens opened and heavy rain ensued. This wasn’t too unpleasant for runners as they had all warmed up and the cooling rain was a relief. However, it did mean that the runners had to take a bit more care over some of the potentially slippery areas. Axe Valley Runners took the first 3 places led home by Jake Smith who won in 37 minutes 11 seconds creating a new course record. HRC’s first runner home was Ben Stone who was in fine form to come 4th in 44:33. Rod Inglis came 9th in 48:56 and Mark Newson 11th in 50:17. Steve Davey and Richard Harris had their usual battle with Steve finishing 12th in 50:28 and Richard one place and 5 seconds later. Jo Davey led the HRC ladies home to come 2nd lady, 15th position in 53:06. Her mum, Judy, was 3rd lady in 55:00 and 18th place with Pippa Westall just one place later and 4th lady in 55:30. Shane Hudd completed the line-up coming a very respectable 22nd in 58:37. There were 39 finishers. July Handicap - Well done Tony
Quantock Beast, Ottery Rail and River Run & Ham to Lyme Ultra Marathon
On Sunday, 2nd July Anne Carter and Asilah Jarrald took part in the Quantock Beast. This is a lovely run and Anne finished in 55 minutes 24 seconds and Asilah in 55.24. They said that it was a lovely run, rather hilly, a bit muddy and a little hot! It is 5.7 miles long and part of the Somerset series. Whilst some members of Honiton Running Club tackled the tough Ham to Lyme 50k last Saturday others took on the 10th running of the Otter Rail and River run through the beautiful countryside around Tipton St. John. The route is a 10k off road event following the River Otter and the old railway line. 12 Honiton runners took part with Kevin Hawker being first back for the club and finishing 3rd overall in a time off 40 minutes exactly. Kevin not only took 3rd prize but also was the first male finisher O40. Next was Rod Inglis in 46.27 followed closely by Richard Harris in 47.33. Howard Bidmead was next in and has found some form again following recent injuries. He battled it out with fellow club members Jo Davey and Mark Dallyn before finishing 38th overall in 48.52 and took the prize for first male O60 prize. Mark finished just behind in 41st place in 49.32. Jo Davey was the first of the Honiton ladies to finish in 45th position in 50.21 followed by Pippa Westall in 49th with a time of 50.35. Pippa took the prize for first female finisher O55. Other HRC finishers: Mark Andow 60th 53.12, Anne Carter 97th 57.45, Asilah Jarrald 101st 58.27,Rachel Hennessey 114th 60.51, Kathy Layzell 115th 60.52 There were 184 finishers and the race was won by Peter Monaghan from Torbay AC in a time of 39:43. The Honiton members received their prizes from BBC presenter Jeremy Vine who was in attendance to open the Tipton St. John summer fete. HRC managed a turnout of 18 runners for the Albion Runners Ham to Lyme Ultra Marathon. The start was Ham Hill and the finish was Lyme Regis although some runners chose to start from Lyme Regis, run to Ham Hill and then turn around and run back again. However, none of the HRC members were that foolhardy. Although officially a race for most it was just about completing the distance. Ben Stone and Alasdair Moffett ran together for the entire race and managed to go off course within the first mile. The opportunity to go wrong was huge and most runners did at one time or another. Chris Entwhistle came in behind Alasdair and Ben and Gavin Rice followed some time later. Gavin bravely took on the bike leg of the Honiton Triathlon the day after. Judy and Steve Davey were next with Steve struggling for the last 8 miles. With Judy’s encouragement, they managed to cross the line almost together with Judy finishing as 3rd lady and Steve nearly passing out once he stopped. Next came Sherrie Hair and Suzanne and Simon Spiller. Suzanne and Simon ran the race last year so had a bit of an advantage with route navigation but even they were very unsure at some points. Stephen Boyes is quite used to ultra-events but this was his first time for this one. Dan Strawbridge had only been persuaded to run 2 days earlier and as his training consisted of a 10 mile run the previous weekend he did very well to finish. Tim Wigram and Richard (Tricky) Terry were next back with Tricky being the person responsible for persuading Dan to take part with the comment ‘if I can do it, you can’ or words to that effect! Sharon Wells is another seasoned ultra-runner and she had tackled this event last year. However, she found it too hot and put in a much slower time than before. Steve and Michelle Selley and Anna Dalzell ran together with Michelle and Anna having to encourage Steve along the way when he started to feel a bit strange. Mark Newson ran with Clare Melbourne. Clare is a determined runner who shows grit and determination with every race she does and keeps on going at the same pace to finish strongly. Thanks to Brent Dicks for driving the mini bus and supporting HRC runners in many other ways including spare kit storage and just popping up at every food station to offer encouraging words. Lyme Regis Poppy Run, Torbay Half Marathon, Woodland Relays, Forde Abbey 10k and Charmouth Challenge
On Sunday 25th June two members of Honiton Running Club took on the Lyme Regis Poppy 10k run. Dawn Peek and Rachel Mandrupson set off along the esplanade to run the whole of Lyme Regis sea front before heading towards Holcombe,Uplyme and Sleech Woods before returning back into Lyme Regis for a final lap around the local football pitch. Dawn was first back for HRC in a time of 1 hr 21 mins in 39th place whilst Rachel who found it very hard going came in 46th in a time of 1:25. With over 700 ft of climb both did very well. The race was won by Jake Smith of Axe Valley Runners in a time of 41 min 57 sec. Although they call it a 10k run it was nearer to 7 miles so a great time by Jake. There were 47 finishers. Dawn is already thinking of doing it again next near! On the same day some HRC members tackled the Torbay Half Marathon. It was a hot day and Jennie Sleeman achieved her aim of finishing under 2 hours (1:59:02). Kathy Layzell crossed the line in 2:12:22 and was pleased with her time. Exmouth Harriers’ Woodland Relays took place on Woodbury Common last Wednesday evening on what has to be the wettest evening this year! It had rained constantly since early afternoon and just driving to the venue was a challenge with all the puddles (and for some finding the venue proved difficult too)! The rain continued all evening and runners struggled to shelter under gazebos and umbrellas. Once runners got wet, it felt very cold and runners struggled to negotiate the very damp 2 ½ miles. There were 21 adult teams of which HRC made up 9. Honiton’s ladies won their race with the team made up of: Jo Davey, Suzanne Spiller and Sherrie Hair. Sherrie was the fastest female runner of the evening. They came 7th overall and the team just behind them was HRC’s male vet team also winning their category. They were Richard Harris, Rod Inglis and Steve Davey. HRC’s mixed team won theirs too made up of Katy Campbell, Sharon Wells and Kevin Hawker. HRC prizes weren’t over yet as the female vet team also won made up of Judy Davey, Fran Bond and Pippa Westall. Will Daly, Richard Harvey and Adam Hennessey were actually the first HRC team back coming 5th overall but their category was won by the overall winners N1 Tri Club. Other foolhardy HRC runners to take part were: Mark Newson, Phil Hall, Jay Sweetman, Tony Peek, Joe Daly, Roger Saunders and Kathy Layzell who was in the car that got lost and arrived late meaning as soon as the car stopped, Kathy set off down the hill and the marshal thinking she was on her 2nd loop directed her right instead of left! Despite missing about a mile of the course, Kathy thought it was quite far enough and the result wasn’t affected as they didn’t win anyway! Rachel Hennessey, Paula Ferris, Janice Newson (running for the first time ever for HRC), Juliet Hall and Clare Melbourne also ran. The route was a very loose figure of 8 and the junior teams ran just the first loop. HRC juniors won overall made up of Charlie Arnold, Sam Gammon and Thomas Lilley who was the fastest junior of the evening. The other junior HRC came 6th overall and was made up of Daniel Crabb, Isabella Holman and Esme Nally. 10 teams finished. Thanks to Exmouth Harriers for hosting this event in such diabolical conditions and thanks too to the marshals who remained friendly and cheerful throughout which must have been harder than actually running the relays! On Thursday, 29th June the Ford Abbey 10k race took place with the base as the name suggests at Ford Abbey. This is an off road race boasting 2 river crossings. The race organisers are Chard Road Runners and their own Wayne Loveridge won the race in 40 minutes 4 seconds. Nick Silkstone came first for HRC in 18th place in 46:30 followed by Richard Harris 45th in 51:12. Pippa Westall was next coming 69th in 55:19 about 5 minutes quicker than last year and picking up her first ever trophy for winning her age category even though she sustained a nasty gash to her leg in one of the river crossings. Other HRC runners were: 120th Nick Thorpe 1:03:27, 191st Sandra Thorpe 1:18:16, 192nd Amy Williams 1:18:29, 195th Karen Shaw 1:18:29 and 196th Juliet Hall 1:19:18. There were 205 finishers. On Saturday, 1st July, 4 HRC members took on the Charmouth Challenge which is an 8 mile fell race through some of the finest coastal scenery in the South West on Dorset’s beautiful Jurassic Coast overlooking Charmouth’s fossil hunting beaches with views to Lyme Regis. Runners ascend the very tough Stone Barrow Lane within the first mile of the race and later in the race ascend to Golden Cap and at 191 metres this is the highest point on the South Coast of England. Steve Davey was first back for HRC coming 63rd in 1 hour 12 minutes and he was followed by Mark Dallyn who came 100th in 1:16. Howard Bidmead came 163rd in 1:23 and last but definitely not least was Sharon Wells who was running her second race of the day. She had completed Seaton Park Run in the morning before coming 269th in 1:37 at Charmouth. There were 337 finishers. June Handicap - Well done Dawn!
Killerton Duathlon & Jersey Half Marathon
On Sunday 4th June 4 members of Honiton Running Club took part in the Killerton Duathlon. A mix of run - cycle - run. There were two distances to choose from; the longer standard distance or shorter sprint. All HRC took on the shorter sprint made up of a 5k run, 20k bile ride followed by a 3k run. There was also the opportunity for one competitor to do the whole thing or as pairs. Katy Cambell & Tony Peek both opted to do the whole thing whilst Karen Toffs & Michelle Selley entered the pairs with Karen doing the running & Michelle the cycle ride. They all found it tough at the start with undulations in the run to the first transition area where it was a change of shoes to cycle ones, grab your helmet & bike to cycle the 20k route out of Killerton onto the main Broadclyst to Cullompton road before following the same route back with the wind in their faces. Although Tony was quicker on the bike section it was not enough to catch Katy who had made a great start with the run. It was then back into the transition area and back into running shoes. Again Katy was a lot quicker then Tony in transitions gaining her valuable time. They set out into the last run which felt like the hardest with legs that didn't want to run. On the last downhill section Tony tried to gain back some time only to have cramp pull him up to a complete stop whilst he stretched it out. Karen, who had not been too well, had a good run on the first leg coming in just behind Tony, before sending Michelle off on her cycle ride giving Karen’s legs chance to recover before her final run. Luckily the rain held off just long enough for the last run! 1st back for Honiton was Katy in a completed time of 1 hr 28 min 58 sec. 2nd back was Tony in 1:36:33. 3rd back was the duo of Karen & Michelle in a time of 1:47:56. A tough morning but one that they are all eager to repeat. Last Sunday, Howard Bidmead took a short break to Jersey and took part in the half marathon. He has been suffering with injuries on and off so was delighted to finish in one piece in 1 hour 49 minutes 58 seconds. Jurassic Coast 100k, Rock 'n' Roll Weekend, Women Can and Umborne Ug
On Saturday, 20th May, Honiton Running Club’s Sharon Wells took part in the Jurassic Coast 100km, an event organised by Climb South West. The runners started from Weymouth at 2 am following the coastal path to Exmouth. Running the first 2 hours in the dark was hard, but once the sun came up Sharon began to enjoy it more. The first half was fine, quite flat except for Golden Cap. She arrived at Lyme Regis almost on schedule but then hit the undercliff through to Seaton which she didn’t like at all, lots of mud, undulations, tree roots and steps making progress slow. At Seaton Sharon was joined by fellow HRC member, Mark Newson, who had completed parkrun and volunteered to accompany her on the toughest stretch through to Exmouth. They managed the nasty hills through to Sidmouth, finally making it to the 75km mark where they were joined by another HRC runner, Paula Ferris. The remaining miles passed in a slow blur. The last mile along Exmouth seafront was in to the wind and Sharon felt like she was not gaining any ground, but she did finally arrive at the finish. A total of 157 walkers and runners started (walkers headed out at 10 pm Friday night), only 95 of them got to the finish and Sharon was delighted to be included in that number. She was extremely grateful of the support she had along the way! On Friday 26th June Anna Dalzell, Debbie Vinnicombe, Karen Tofts(Lister), Michelle Selley & Vanessa Knowles travelled up to Liverpool to take part in the Rock 'n' Roll weekend. As in the title the weekend is full of music & 'bling'. The courses having plenty of music all the way around the routes & a big music festival after the main races on the Sunday. There is a 5km run on the Saturday & a half & full marathon on Sunday morning followed by a mile fun run in the afternoon. This is where the 'bling' comes in. If you run a race on the 2 consecutive days (the mile run isn't included in that) you'll get a 'Remix' medal plus a medal for the mile and as the group ran last year they also got an Encore medal. Five medals in one weekend so if you’re into 'bling' these are the races to do. This year the series were celebrating 20 years, the 1st race being in San Deigo in 1988. As this is Beatles country and they were celebrating the 60's & 70’s Beatles era the girls kept with what seems to have become a tradition for them and dressed up for the 5km run which they all ran together stopping for a couple of photos on the way. Sunday was a bit more sensible. They represented HRC wearing the Club vests. Karen, Anna & Vanessa completed the half in 2.13 mins (which included several photo stops). Michelle & Debbie both ran the Marathon. Michelle in 4hrs 8mins & Debbie in 5 hrs 5mins. PB's for both of them. A great weekend had by all and well recommended. On Sunday, 28th May, 400 women came together to show that ‘women can’ by taking part in the first ever women-only Women Can Marathon on a route taking in glorious coast and countryside in East Devon. The event marked the 50th anniversary when Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon in 1967 in defiance of the ‘no women’ rules. The race was won by Elizabeth Dyson who finished in 3 hours 20 minutes, an amazing 35 minutes ahead of the 2nd placed runner. Judy Davey was first back for HRC coming 12th in 4:13 even though she managed an extra ½ mile by taking a wrong turn. Nevertheless, she was still rewarded for her efforts by coming 1st in her age category. Paula Ferris was next back coming 19th in 4:32. Jennie Sleeman was delighted to come 58th just beating the 5 hour mark in 4:58. Clare Melbourne came 82nd in 5:14 and she was followed by Rachel Hennessey who came 119th in 5:35. Asilah Jarrald and Anne Carter finished the line-up running together coming 123rd in 5:36. There were 205 marathon finishers. Also taking part were 27 pairs of half marathon runners including HRC pairs Angela Belle and Katherine Tomkins who came 15th in 5:14 and Kathy Layzell and Claire Rouse who came 20th in 5:21. There was also the opportunity of running in relay teams of 4 or taking part as a Nordic walker. Everyone reported that the atmosphere was fantastic and support was immense. Thanks mainly to chief organiser Jo Earlam and helpers Pauline Beare and Peggy Wiseman but also to the many other people who made the event possible including marshals, caterers, sponsors, etc. On Saturday evening of 3rd June HRC runners were out in force to take part in the local Umborne Ug which is a tough multi-terrain 10k race. The race was won by Tim Lenton of Axe Valley Runners who finished in 41:26 and the first HRC runner back was Adam Hennessey who finished 10th in 46:50. Rod Inglis was next back coming 15th in 50:31 and then came Richard Harvey 17th in 51:18. Steve Davey followed coming 20th in 51:55 having fallen off a stile. Mark Newson was next back coming 23rd in 52:36. Richard Harris saw Steve fall off the stile and thinking that was the thing to do he also took a tumble on the same one. Richard came 24th in 53:07. First HRC lady and 4th lady overall was Jo Davey who came 37th in 56:53. Pippa Westall had a fantastic run to come 41st overall in 57:51 and she was chuffed and delighted to win her category for the first time in her running career. Judy Davey still had the previous week’s marathon in her legs and came in just behind Pippa 17 seconds later. It was the first time Emilie Tones had run this race and she found it tough but did well to finish 52nd in 1:01:44. Darren Roberts has been getting faster on road and did well on this MT course to come 57th in 1:03:17. Andy Ashford followed 3 places and 17 seconds later just 10 seconds and one place ahead of Sharon Wells. There were 91 finishers. Thanks to everyone who made the run possible but especially the main organisers, Rick and Eleanor Wood. May 2017 Handicap - Well done Andy!
Exeter Marathon and Clyst Hydon Huff Kev Hawker, Adam Hennessay, Tim Wigram and Steve Boyes of Honiton Running Club took on the Exeter Marathon last Sunday. Starting at Exeter City Football Club, it went through the town centre then onto the Quay for 3 loops around the windy riverside to finish at Haven Banks. Kev Hawker was first back for HRC in 3hrs and 30 seconds. After leading at 6 miles he was sent the wrong way and dropped back to 3rd. Not that it affected the result as his legs went into a shuffle after 20 miles to finish 5th. Steve Boyes had a great run coming home in 3hrs 56. Adam Hennessey was in good shape and hoping for a quick time. Unfortunately injury struck with a swollen foot. Adam took his shoe off to walk the last 4 miles. A great effort. Tim Wigram was using the event as a training run for his upcoming Ultra, running a marathon a month. He finished in 4:20. All finishers got a well deserved Beer. Meanwhile several other HRC runners were out at Clyst Hydon taking part in the Huff. The race had reached its limit within minutes of opening registration on the day and late entrants had to wait patiently to see if they could take the place of a no show. Luckily for Richard Harris, after a nervous wait, this was the case and he had a great run to come 29th in 51 minutes 8 seconds. Steve Davey was next back coming 32nd 23 seconds later. Jo Davey was the first lady home for HRC and 5th lady overall. She came 38th in 52:14 finally beating her mum in a race – it will be the first of many! She had a great battle with Eleanor Wood of Axe Valley Runners crossing the line together and being given the same finishing time. Mark Dallyn came 41st in 53:25 and he was followed by Howard Bidmead who finished 43rd in exactly 54 minutes. Having just moved into a new age category he was very excited to find out he’d won it! Judy Davey was next back also winning her age category. She was 45th in 54:49. Roger Saunders followed not too far behind coming 48th in 55:23 with Pippa Westall hot on his heels coming 50th in 56:09. Clare Melbourne, Jay Sweetman and Mark Newson ran together and finished 81st in 1:04:15 an amazing 7 minutes quicker than last year. Jennie Sleeman finished 87th in 1:05:15 and Kathy Layzell completed the line-up to come 100th in 1:08:51. There were 134 finishers and the winner was Anthony Hatchard who finished in 39:56. There was also a 2k fun run for the youngsters and Callum Hall came 84th, his brother Nathan 87th and Oscar Devine 91st who ran with his mum Asilah. Many thanks to Clyst Hydon Primary School for putting on such a well organised event and especially Jane Murray the main organiser. 
Ottery 10k
Final results here. Well done to everyone who completed the Ottery 10k What a great turnout! Please see the link for provisional results. Please let us know if there are any anomalies and we will try to correct. Ottery 10k
The Ottery 10k race organised by Honiton Running Club took place last Sunday on a gorgeous sunny day. Ottery Carnival Committee provided many of the marshals and although many HRC members were involved with organisation, the Club still managed to sport a good representation of runners. Numbers entered overall beat the course record in dramatic style with 301 crossing the finish line. This all road course is around the streets of Ottery St Mary and is billed as fairly flat although in the heat of the day most runners disagreed with this. The race was won by Tom Merson of Exmouth Harriers in the fantastic time of 32 minutes and 2 seconds – over 2 minutes ahead of the 2nd placed runner. The first lady was Suzy Rushforth of South West Road Runners in 41:08. First back for Honiton was young Will Daly who came 12th in 38:22. Another young HRC runner was next back in the form of George Tomkins who came 35th in 41:38. He was just ahead of Sherrie Hair who was 1st lady back for HRC and 2nd lady overall. She finished in 41:49. Other HRC runners were: 47th Mark Newson 43:12, 52nd Rod Inglis 44:06, 56th Sam Pollard 44:33, 62nd Steve Davey 45:15, 66th Richard Harris 45:42, 78th Mark Dallyn 46:34, 79th Jo Davey 46:45,80th Steve Selley 46:57, 93rd Pippa Westall 48:36, 107th Darren Roberts 49:55, 114th Kate Smith 50:47, 119th Andy Ashford 51:05, 146th Jay Sweetman 52:37, 147th Rachel Hennessey 52:38, 176th Lex Turnham 55:12, 177th Asilah Jarrald 55:14, 178th Clare Melbourne 55:20, 181st Linda Pike 56:03, 189th Charlotte McKechnie 57:07, 190th Teresa Pollard 57:10, 193rd Geri Terry 57:36, 207th Owen Bukin 58:52, 209th Phil Hall 58:58, 216th Alan Rowe 59:58, 219th Claire Staniforth 1:00:13, 223rd Carol Turnham 1:00:35, 224th Liz Corney 1:00:39, 232nd Becky Galiford 1:01:42, 238th Lucy Daly 1:01:48, 264th Karen Shaw 1:05:40, 276th Claire Arscott 1:07:16, 283rd Paula Ferris 1:10:08 (running with Paul Bryant), 286th Vanessa Glyn Jones 1:12:09, 289th Elizabeth Kranen 1:14:05. There was also a 1 mile fun run open to youngsters. The first 3 boys and girls won chocolate, a trophy, a medal and a tee-shirt for their efforts. Huge thanks to all the sponsors, the Cricket Club, the Carnival Club and anyone else who made the day such a success. 
Beer Blazer & Crediton Crunch
Last Sunday, in ideal weather conditions, several Honiton Running Club members took on the Beer Blazer. This takes in one of the nastier sections of the infamous Grizzly with competitors running the length of Branscombe Beach before climbing the Stairway to Heaven. The race’s base is at Pecorama and is a 10k all off road run. The winner was Richard Bateson who finished in 42 minutes 52 seconds. First back for HRC was young Will Daly running the course for the first time. He came 6th overall in 46:41. Next was Rod Inglis who had a great run to come 18th in 52:58 and he was followed by Steve Davey who came 25th in 55:14. Howard Bidmead is getting over an injury so did well to come 50th in 1:00:43 ahead of HRC’s first and only lady, Paula Ferris, who finished 58th in 1:02:48. Andy Ashford has really picked the pace up with his racing and he came 73rd in 1:06:39. Joe Daly completed the line-up to come 100th in 1:15:09 and there were 138 finishers. Sisters Phoebe and Alice Clark took part in the Fun Run with fantastic results. Phoebe was 1st girl and 2nd overall and Alice was 3rd girl and 8th overall. Meanwhile Roger Saunders chose to run the Crediton Crunch to keep his standings up in the Instep Devon championship. The route was very similar to the Blazer in that it started at the top of a hill and then descended to the river at the bottom to be followed by several steep climbs on the way back, but no beach, and it was a bit less than 10K due to last minute route changes. Roger was the only Honiton runner there and finished 62nd in a time of 46:59. The winner was Robert Ellis from Exmouth Harriers in a time of 33:38. 
Bolt Head to Head, Offa's Orror and London Marathon
On Saturday, 22nd April, whilst some of the club were preparing for the London Marathon, a few Honiton Running Club runners were taking on a "slightly" less well known run in Salcombe, South Devon. Suzanne and Simon Spiller, Paula Ferris, Sherrie Hair and Sharon Wells tackled the Bolt Head to Head coast run; a 22 Km coast line run taking in such landmarks as Hope’s Cove, Bolberry Down and Overbecks house. The scenery was fantastic and the run was made all the better by the great weather. Not content with that, Paula Ferris ventured further afield the following day to race Chepstow Harriers’ infamous Trail Run "Offa's Orror" which is not for the faint hearted, taking in sections of the famous Offa's Dyke path, and tracks and trails around it. The route is a little under 20km/12miles with a height gain of approximately 670m (2200 feet). Encountering hills, forest tracks, single track footpaths, steep descents, riverbank paths, less than 1km of tarmac ... and of course, the beauty of the Wye Valley (if you've got time to look at it!). Paula completed the race in 2 hours 05 mins, 129th out of 209 runners. HRC only had 2 representatives running the London Marathon this year and first back was seasoned LM runner, Judy Davey. She finished in 3 hours 36 minutes and a very respectable 7434th place out of the 40,000 finishers. She was happy with her time having completed it both quicker and slower previously. Clare Melbourne was running London for the first time and really enjoyed it! She found the crowds were amazing and it was totally different to other marathons. Clare said it felt surreal that she was actually running this iconic event - it didn't really sink in until she watched the highlights on TV when she got home! She managed to run the whole way as she knew if she stopped to walk that would have been it, and the boost of seeing friends and relatives supporting along the way spurred her on to get to the finish! Clare raised an incredible amount of over £1100 for the club’s charity of the year Macmillan Cancer Support. Clare finished 20,944th in 4:27. She is so grateful for everyone's support for the fundraising and the running and super-chuffed with the amazing medal! April Handicap - Well done Wendy!
Kilmington Kanter & Fast Friday 10k
Kilmington Kanter saw record numbers take part on Good Friday and this was made up of a good turnout of Honiton runners. This multi-terrain course is just short of 7 miles and takes in a variety of tracks, woodland and 2 challenging hills. The race was won by 17 year old Ollie Caute in 44 minutes 8 seconds and the lady winner was Flo Swan who is also a 17 year old Axe Valley Runner. She came 20th in 50:53. Adam Hennessey was first back for HRC coming 12th in 48:56 and he was followed by Nick Silkstone coming 15th in 49:27. New HRC runner Mark Newson showed what he was made of to come 29th in 53:29. Richard Harvey followed coming 32nd in 54:26. Steve Davey and Alasdair Moffatt had a good battle throughout with Steve managing to come just one second ahead of Alasdair in 34th place and 54:55. The next 5 runners were very close throughout the race swapping positions many times with Paula Ferris leading them and the other HRC ladies home to come 49th in 57:13. Mark Dallyn has been out of the racing scene for a while but did well to come 52nd in 58:01. Judy and Jo Davey followed directly behind with Judy 8 seconds later and Jo just 1 second after her. Judy took home a very nice hamper for winning her age category. Richard Terry has shown huge improvement recently and knocked over 10 minutes off his time from last year. He came 57th in 58:54. Tim Wigram came 69th in1:00:53, Nicola Greenland 74th in 1:02:34, Howard Bidmead 75th in 1:02:50, Joe Daly 120th in 1:14:04 and Claire Rouse 122nd in 1:14:32. There were 136 finishers. Honiton had great success in the Fun Run with Phoebe Clark coming 1st female and 2nd overall in 21:04. Her sister Alice also won her category coming 8th overall in 23:15 and 3rd overall female. There were 42 finishers. Three HRC runners opted for the flat river Exe tow path rather than the hills of Kilmington on Good Friday in a bid to boost their 10K times. The Fast Friday 10K is part of the Instep Devon race series and was sold out quickly. The 2 lap course along the River Exe was flat except for the bridges. Roger Saunders entered at the last minute as a member was suffering an ailment and gifted her place to him. He came in 64th and first in the V60 category in 46:53 so this keeps him in the running for the overall lead in this category for the Instep Devon race series. Katy Campbell was not far behind in 72nd place in 48:22 and Rachel Hennessey was 92nd in 50:56. Ben Stone running for Tiverton came in with a very swift time of 40:32. The race was won by Phil Wylie of Cheltenham Harriers in 31:30. Honiton Hippo
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This Week16/10/2017Club CalendarMon-Wed nights meet at 6:30 at Honiton Community College to share cars unless driving direct to venue.
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