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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

Blackdown Beauty

July 2023

Honiton Hippo

Sept 2023

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

Instep Devon Championship
2022 Results

Club Charity
TBD

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

Run Jurassic Half Marathon.
The September sun shone on an early race start for the Run Jurassic half marathon which took place on Sunday 25th of September from Burton Bradstock. The event was organised by White Star Running who had a very efficient operation in place, enabling a very effective and prompt start.
3 Honiton Running Club ladies took on the challenge which included steep climbs on the coast path to sweeping downhill through farmland, footpaths and woodland. Then came the tough relentless accent up to Golden Cap which was certainly worth the effort of burning calf muscles and sheer determination.
The route was lined with motivating marshals and morning walkers encouraging us as we passed. Paula Ferris led the trio home in a time of 2 hours 34 minutes closely followed by Jennie Sleeman in 2 hours 39 and Rachel Hennessay was pleased to cross the line in 2hours 46.
The girls agreed "The views were worth the climb!"

Honiton Hipoo and Calf
Well done to everyone who took part today. Please see the provisional results below and let us know if there are any anomalies
j.davey416@btinternet.com
Honiton Hippo Provisional Results - here
Hippo Calf - here

Honiton Hippo and Calf
Sunday, 18th September saw Honiton Running Club’s own Honiton Hippo and Calf races. Based at Honiton Primary School runners are taken up some very challenging hills, through Combe Woods and St Cyres. The race is over 7 miles and the highlight has to be the Landrover Experience when runners have no choice but to pass through several different water features. Water is also on the agenda with the 2 river crossings which is waist height for most runners!
The race was won by Roger Easterbook of Teignbridge Trotters in 50 minutes 57 seconds and first lady back was Yael Rowan-Wicks in the impressive time of 59:15. Most HRC members were either marshalling or carrying out another duty but quite a few took up the challenge of the event. George Pemberton, who is only 14, was first back for HRC coming 3rd overall in 51:58. One of the sponsors of the event is Norcotts Cider who donated the prizes and poor George couldn’t take it away with him. We’ll have to get him something else! Johnny Bennett followed coming 12th in 59:46. HRC’s first lady back was Anna Drake who was racing for the Club for the first time. She came 59th in 1:16;30.
Other HRC runners were: 18th Nick Couch 1:02:55, 41st Steve Davey 1:10:05, 67th Gareth Lewis 1:19:13, 91st Emma Davey 1:27:07, 124th Helen Williams 1:46:58, 125th Michelle Selley & Vanessa Knowles 1:47:05 and 131st Victoria Henwood 1:50:38. There were 138 finishers.
The Calf is the baby of the Hippo and mainly for youngsters over the age of 9. It is just under 2 miles in length and takes the runners around Combe Woods before coming back up the hill to the finish. The race was won by Olly Morris of Exeter Harriers in 11:31 and he was followed closely by HRC Junior runner, Max Spiller who finished in 13:01. HRC’s Mia Morris was 1st female and 3rd overall in 13:11. Lyra Webb was 2nd female, 4th overall in 13:24. Alex Yapp won his category coming 5th in 13:30 and he was followed by Taylor Anderson who also won his category coming 6th in 13:42. Chloe Phare won the female under 13 category coming 11th overall in 14:38.
Other HRC Calf runners: 10th Noah Pemberton 14:33, 14th Isaac Clarke 15:06, 15th Ella Spiller 15:07, 19th Imogen Clarke 16:05, 20th Keir Osborne 16:23 and 21st Grace Jean 16:41. There were 25 finishers.
Thanks to all the helpers ably managed by Race Director, Howard Bidmead and to all the sponsors including Bradfords, Synergy, Positive Energy, Combe Garden Centre, Norcotts Cider, Four Elms Fruit Farm and To an Fro. Also, thanks to the landowners for allowing runners to trample their land. Without all these people, the event could not take place.

Exmouth Parkrun
Honiton Running Club members were out in force on Saturday, 10th September as they had arranged to attend Exmouth Parkrun as a mass group. HRC member, George Pemberton, who is only 14 came 5th overall in an amazing time of 17 minutes 25 seconds. The first HRC lady back was Ceri Oak who came 80th overall and 13th lady in a time of 22:16. The first person over the line was Sam Larkham of Tavistock AC in 15:52. Other HRC runners were: Paula Ferris, Helen Williams, Clare Melbourne, Mark Newson, Pip Vanham, Nick Couch, Pete Nichols, Rachel Hennessey, Martin Killick, Johnny Bennett and Darren Roberts
HRC is holding its popular Honiton Hippo and Calf races next Sunday from Honiton Primary School and entries will be available on the day. A minute’s silence will be held at the start to respect the Queen’s passing. Visit www.honitonrc.com for further information.

Lustleigh 10k
The village of Lustleigh is a small Dartmoor village which every year on August Bank Holiday Monday plays host to a large country show with falconry displays, trick cyclists as well as food stalls and other country activities. This year the highlight was a flypast by a Lancaster Bomber from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

The 10k race attracts not only local runners but competitors from further afield. With a 12 noon start and hot weather conditions the race was certainly a challenge for all who took part. The course is hilly, run on quiet lanes, through woods and along tracks before re-entering the village and back to the show ground.

Four members from Honiton Running Club made the trip to Lustleigh ably supported by family. Howard Bidmead was first back for Honiton in a time of 53 minutes.28 seconds and finishing in 48th position. He was followed by Mark Newson and Clare Melbourne who ran together finishing in 93rd place and being given the same time of 63:07. Martin Killick completed the Honiton contingent and finished 130th in a time of 71:08. The race was won by Eirin McDaid from Ranelagh Harriers in Richmond in a time of 39.06. There were 154 finishers.

Haytor Heller
On Saturday, 16th July, Honiton Running Club’s Luke Holway, Richard Kemp and Kathy Layzell went to Dartmoor to run the very technically challenging 10 k course of Teignbridge Trotters’ Haytor Heller. This included plenty of hills and difficult footing due to rocks and boulders. The course starts half way up the hill leading to Haytor which quite of a lot of racers walked including the HRC three! Within minutes of starting Richard saw someone badly fall on the rocks, so decided to be careful and just took it easy. However Luke and Kathy sped off. Luke finished in 1 hour 16 minutes in 178th place, a brilliant run considering he has been struggling with a foot injury. Kathy came in 207th place at 1:21 which was 10 minutes faster than last year. Richard happily taking it easy finished in 1:31 in 232nd place. A great run enjoyed by all. There were 247 finishers and the race was won by Robert Ellis in 40 minutes.

Honiton Running Club at the start of the Beauty

Blackdown Beauty
After 2 years the Blackdown Beauty social run over the Blackdown Hills is finally back this time based at the Holman Clavel Pub which was where it originally started 13 years ago. There were over 100 entries but only 75 runners actually tackled the 11 to 18 mile routes. Some probably put off by the forecast of a heat wave though the runners didn't appear to suffer much. As always there was a cream tea at Stapley where the runners relaxed for a while before restarting their runs back to the Holman Clavel. Various running groups participated, some in fancy dress (Jubilee Theme) with special mention for the Exmouth Running Belles who always turn up with fancy dress. The money raised for Macmillan Cancer should be around £2000 which is a great result.

Payhembury Duathlon runners and riders

Payhembury Duathlon
On 10 July 2022 Honiton Running Club and Honiton Spinners came together at the annual Payhembury Duathlon which consists of a 3.8 mile run followed by a 15 mile bike ride and finally a 2.4 mile run from Payhembury Village Hall. This is an annual event held for the last 5 years (although one was virtual). The weather was fairly hot which was ideal for the riders but a bit much for the runners. There were 19 athletes comprising of 10 teams either of a single person doing all 3 legs or 2/3 persons per team each doing the run or ride. The winning team was Mike Mears (runs) and Tony Peek (ride) in a time of 1:35:36. Jennie Sleeman was the only person attempting to do all 3 legs and managed it in a time of 1:59:23. The winning all male multi-person team were Aron Howells and Dom Long in a time of 1:37:23. Mother and daughter team Judy and Emma Davey won the multi ladies team in a time of 1:48:12. Jo Buxton and John Burgess were first mixed gender team in a time of 1:42:42 closely followed by Howard Bidmead and Claire Barrow in 1:44:07. Mention should also be made of Dom Long for the fastest ride around the route and Mike Mears for the fastest times in both runs. Thanks go to Jennie Sleeman and Roger Saunders for organising the event and to Payhembury School for allowing their playground to be used as the transition area. All profits from this event will go to the school.

Ham to Lyme Ultra, Alpine Scale Ultra and Otter Rail & River Run
Seven Honiton Running Club members made it to the start line on Saturday 2nd July to take part in the Ham to Lyme 50km multi-terrain run. The run starts at Ham Hill Country Park in Somerset and concludes at Lyme Regis in Dorset. Taking in the Liberty Trail, it winds its way across farms and fields, through villages and along country lanes. It has the rare gift of slightly less ascent (2,618 ft) than descent (2,983 ft) and whilst having a few hilly climbs, it certainly felt predominantly flat or downhill. The atmosphere felt very friendly and relaxed. The looming grey clouds looked a bit ominous as runners huddled to try and hear the race briefing in vain, apart from something about a bit of a detour around a field to avoid cows. This did play out and runners experienced a fair amount of the wet stuff along the way and whilst humid, at least it was not too warm for a July event. Despite the weather, there were still stunning views along the way and the welcome sight of the sea from about 5 miles out. It was well marked in places and for other sections there was a bit of working out needed, not helped by the GPX not quite aligning with the route. It was, though, quite easy to pick up the route again even when runners found themselves slightly off course. HRC members finished in two waves. First back was Rebecca Stevens in 5 hours 43 mins, 54th overall and 6th lady; closely followed by Jennie Sleeman in 5:49, 59th; followed by Johnny Bennett and Paula Ferris who were slightly delayed by heroically rescuing a dog that had become separated from its owner. They still managed to finish in a very impressive 5:53, 62nd place. Then Vanessa Knowles, Anna Dalzell and Debbie Vinnicombe finished together in 7:53, in 196th position in a field of 222 finishers. A special mention to Johnny, who’s previously longest run was 22 miles and he ran this race after fracturing his vertebrae just 11 weeks ago; and Debbie, who completed her first ultra marathon after previously training for two others that were then cancelled due to Covid restrictions.

On the same day, Alasdair Moffett and Tim Wigram travelled up to North Wales to take on the UK’s first Alpine scale Ultra Marathon – the Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100km and 50km events . With the motto ‘Beautiful beyond belief. Savage beyond reason.’ the events were truly epic with both routes summiting Snowdonia twice, as well as many over local peaks. Alasdair ran the 100km course climbing 10 peaks and a staggering 6,600m in an amazing 22hrs 33 mins, coming in 57th out of just over 200 starters. Tim ran the 50km course climbing 5 peaks and an awesome 3,100m in 10hrs 8 mins coming in 317th out of 722 starters. Both returned safely to Devon on Sunday and have slept very well since!

On Saturday, 9th July several HRC members took the short trip to Tipton St John to take part in the Otter Rail and River Run which is a multi-terrain 10k race. It was a very hot day which sapped the energy of the runners. Howard Bidmead had a great run leading HRC home coming 29th in 48:31 and he was followed 5 seconds later by the first lady back for HRC, Esme Moffett, who won her age category. She came 4th lady. Steve Davey was next back coming 43rd in 51:02 and he was followed by his daughter, Jo Buxton, who won her age category coming 45th in 51:27. Rebecca Stevens has done some very long races recently but was pleased to come 64th in 53:30. Emma Davey’s baby is only 3 months old but she had a great race coming 71st in 54:47. Kathy Layzell finished in 128th place in 64:08 and completing the line-up was Asilah Jarrald and Luke Holway who ran together coming 131st in 64:27. Pip Vanham began the run but unfortunately had a couple of mishaps along the way and had to be transported back to base. There were 205 finishers and the race was won by Daniel Beazley-Long in 39:30.

Giant's Head Marathon, Charmouth Challenge
On Sunday, 26th June, five Honiton Running Club runners crossed the border to Dorset for White Star Running’s weekend of events, taking over the pretty village of Sydling St Nicholas. The Giant’s Head Marathon, completed by Becky Tyde and Rachel Hennessey on Saturday, has won awards for Britain’s Best Marathon. For the first time, a Half Marathon was added to the list of events. The company is known for its quirky races, so, at 8.30 on Sunday morning, Kathy Layzell joined a conger group round the village green, then raced up the hill where runners had to perform two star jumps before being given a cow bell and running back down the hill, cow bells making a tremendous din as they did so! Money raised went to the church bell fund. After a short breather, the Half Marathon runners set off back up the hill. WSR claims that all race routes are very challenging and hilly, running through the Sydling and Cerne valleys. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted; it’s a tough event, with some steep climbs, sharp descents and the most amazing views to reward yourself with. If runners did not catch a glimpse of the giant himself, he was there in all his glory on the medal awarded at the end. Jennie Sleeman completed the half in 2:13:56, having taken Olivia Killen’s place at the last moment due to injury. Kathy completed her second run of the day in 2:43 closely followed by Lotte Ritter in 2:52
Last weekend saw Honiton Running Club members taking part in events in several parts of the Country including Wales. These ranged from Park Runs to Ultra Marathons.

Hadleigh Davies and Howard Bidmead travelled just a short distance to Charmouth to take part in the 40th running of the Charmouth Challenge. This is an 8 mile fell race which starts in the village of Charmouth, up the steep hill which is Stonebarrow Lane and across the top of the cliffs before ascending Golden Cap, the highest point on the South Coast. From here, if runners have time, they can admire the views before descending back into Charmouth for the finish at the Primary School. Hadleigh and Howard ran together for the first 5 miles, changing positions several times. Howard was just ahead at the top of Golden Cap but Hadleigh had a brilliant run down and a strong finish back to the school saw Hadleigh finishing in 63rd place in a time of 1:16:16. Howard was three places behind in 66th position in a time of 1:17:20 and was the 2nd VO60 Male to finish. Both agreed the conditions for the race were favourable with the rain holding off and both were extremely pleased with their runs. There were 215 finishers and the race was won by Jacek Cieluszecki from Bournemouth AC in a time of 52:11.

Umborne Ug and Woodland RelaysHoniton Running Club members were out in force for the very local Umborne Ug 10k multi-terrain race on Saturday, 11th June. This is a very hilly race for the distance but the evening was perfect for runners, for spectators and especially for the barbecue afterwards. First back for HRC was Johnny Bennett who had a great run coming 10th overall in 48 minutes 3 seconds. He was followed by Steve Page who came 17th in 51:12 and then came HRC’s first lady, Ceri Oak, who came 22nd in 53:07 and winning her category.
Other HRC runners: 27th Pete Nicholls 53:42, 30th Tim Wigram 54:40, 31st Steve Davey 55:21, 39th Judy Davey 56:47, 47th Rebecca Stevens 58:33, 48th Jo Buxton 58:42, 48th Jo Buxton 58:42, 53rd Rachel Hennessey 1:00:40, 66th Luke Holway 1:05:46, 74th Simon Bates 1:07:24, 77th Richard Kemp 1:10:07, 81st Becky Tydd 1:12:08 and 88th Doug Wigram 1:21:58.
There were 90 runners and the race was won by Axe Valley Runners’ Chet Gillespie in 38:56.
There was also a fun run on offer mainly for the juniors. This was won by HRC junior Lyra Webb in 11:22. Also for HRC Emily and Gabriella Pepper finished 8th and 9th respectively in 15:10. There were 14 runners.
Thanks to all organisers and landowners for a brilliant event but especially Rick and Eleanor Wood.
On Wednesday, 15th June, HRC hosted the Woodland Relays based at Escot Park. Teams were made up of 3 runners, each running 2.4 miles. Other local running clubs were invited to participate in the event and in total 66 teams took part on what was a very warm and pleasant evening. There were many different team category prizes on offer but the overall winning team was Axe Valley Runners consisting of Jack Broom, Matt Clist, and Joel Seward. They finished in 41:31. Exmouth Harriers had the first ladies’ team over the line and was made up of Alice Kelly, Paula Hopkins and Hannah Bown finishing in 51:19. HRC juniors took several different category prizes but the Under 15 team were the first juniors over the line finishing in 9th place overall in 48:03. Runners for that team were Alfie Gibbins, Ollie Morris and Oscar Purchase. Everyone agreed it was a fantastically well organised evening which was down to Tim Wigram with a little help from others in the club.

Jubilee Run & Run Exe Relays
Honiton Running Club were out in force on Saturday, 4th June for the Honiton Jubilee run organised by Jenny Lane of Alan Rowe barbering, Crossing the line first for HRC was Nick Couch who finished 4th overall. It was good to see so many from the HRC taking part. First female to cross the line was HRC’s Stephanie Mabbs who has only recently started running with the Club. A great effort by Rachel Welch, Lisa Bevan, Vicky Henwood and Helen Williams. They all completed their first 7 mile run since joining the Club.

On Tuesday, 7th June several HRC juniors took part in the Run Exe Relays held at Exeter Quay and running along beside the canal. There was a great turnout of juniors and they all ran well on a damp summer evening. Times ranged from 18 minutes to 26; all of which are excellent.

Cranbrook 10k & 5k
On Thursday, 2nd June, Honiton Running Club members took part in Cranbrook Running Club’s Platinum Jubilee 10k and 5k races. The 5k race consisted of a lap of the outer part of Cranbrook Park and the 10k race covered the same ground but 2 ½ times. The terrain is flat gravelly paths with about a third on grass. It was a very hot day and with a 10am start for the 5k and 11am start for the 10k, it was a bit too warm for comfortable racing. In the 10k, Liam Dingle was first back for HRC coming 9th in 43 minutes 43 seconds and Howard Bidmead followed him storming around to come in 15th place in 45:46. Next back was a family affair led by Steve Davey who came 21st in 49:34. He was followed by his daughter, Emma, who had a great run coming 25th in 51:33. Emma had overtaken her mum, Judy Davey, at about 6k and Judy finished 28th in exactly 52 minutes. The HRC line-up was completed by Sharon Wells in 39th place in 54:46. There were 99 runners and the race was won by Adam Tango Holland in 37:05. .
Mark Newson led the HRC runners home in the 5k coming 14th in 21:13 and he was followed by Hannah Brown who came 26th in 23:13 and next came Roger Saunders who was pleased with his race coming 38th in 25:17. Donna Stone came 51st in 27:30 and Janice Newson completed the HRC contingency coming 62nd in 28:33. There were 127 finishers and the race was won by Adam Tango Holland, the same winner as the 10k! He finished in 17:58.

Race the Tide
What a day, beautiful clear skies and the temperature already 19 degrees (a little hot for a lunchtime start!) but due to the tide times the race began at 12.45pm. The route was amazing and they did get wet feet! The highlight was running across the beach to Burgh Island and the views were stunning.

The 29.76 miles took 5 hours 55 mins with the second half of the route more challenging than the first, steep climbs and technical footwork required. Crossing the line at 7.20pm – an awesome day out. A huge thank you to their very own support crew Louise and Johnny Bennett, who waved them off at the start and then met them at two points along the course, boosting morale along the way.

The Lap
Last weekend, Honiton Running Club’s Becky Tydd took on a huge challenge for her 47th birthday. The challenge was 47 miles in her favourite place of the Lake District in an ultra race called The Lap. Coming out of injury 8 months ago she set herself a goal to tick this one off her bucket list and she is so glad she did. The race contained 8825 ft of climb in the off road terrain; up into the Fells and circumnavigating the beautiful Lake Windermere. Becky inevitably found the route extremely challenging with some brutal climbs but the views were worth it. Becky suffered from the heat which gave her the choice of not finishing at the final check point or walk the last few miles. Becky opted to finish taking 13 hours 48 minutes. She was sick and shivery when she finished but that was cured with hydration and food! A massive well done Becky!

Ottery 10K
Well done to everyone who took part in the Ottery 10k.
Ottery results here

Ottery 10k
Sunday, 8th May 2022 saw the return of Honiton Running Club’s Ottery 10k after a 2 year break. The base is at Ottery Cricket Ground. The weather was fantastic, maybe even a little too hot for comfort for the runners.
The race was won by Callum Crawford in the amazing time of 35 minutes 18 seconds and the first lady was Rosie Hattersley in the equally great time of 37:46. Although quite a number of HRC runners were involved with the organisation of the event, several still managed to run the race.
First back was Marcus Durant who came 30th in 42:46 and he was followed by Nick Couch, who despite suffering from shin splints during the race, managed to put in the great time of 43:30 and 36th place. Steve Page came 45th in 44:57 and the first lady back for HRC was Ceri Oak finishing 47th in 45:11 and winning her age category trophy. Esme Moffett followed coming 61st in 47:11 and then came Hadleigh Davies 72nd in 48:42. Hannah Brown was 74th in 48:49 and Vernon Gillard 76th in 48:51. New member Stephanie Mabbutt did amazingly well to come 84th in 49:41. Emma Davey had a baby only 8 weeks ago and had a brilliant race coming 105th in 52:05. Lou Bennett stopped briefly to help a fellow team mate and continued her race to come 124th in 53:56. Luke Holway is coming back from injury and was delighted to come 127th in 54:15. Simon Bates came 131st in 54:29. Mark Dallyn ran with a weighted back pack and was going to stay at the back but felt really good so ran a bit faster! He came 144th in 55:27. George Oldfield came 167th in 58:03 and was followed by Kathy Layzell who came 172nd in 58:21. Teresa Pollard came 216th in 1:01:58 and Pip Vanham came 224th in 1:03:37. Richard Kemp is suffering an injury but put in a solid run to come 255th in 1:08:56. Victoria Henwood completed the Honiton line-up coming 283rd in 1:16:59. There were 291 finishers.
There was also a junior fun run of approximately 1 mile in length. This was won by Isaac Corfield and the 1st girl back was Ella Bond. About 57 children took part and a few parents accompanying their child.

Presentation to Macmillan Cancer Charity - £3311
Following the highly successful Blackdown Beast social run organised by Honiton Running Club in January, a presentation took place on Wednesday, 27th April in Cotleigh. Over 200 runners from all over the country took part in the Beast. This year the base was on Dunkeswell Airfield and passed through Smeatharpe where a doughnut and a cup of tea awaited the runners. The run then went to Upottery and the Sidmouth Arms where runners taking the 10 mile option finished with minibus transport provided taking them back to Dunkeswell, The 16 milers then took the road to Rawridge where they rejoined footpaths across country, over fields and the River Otter before climbing to the top of the ridge to the viewpoint above Luppitt for a spectacular panorama of the surrounding countryside before running the remainder of the leg to Luppitt for another refreshment stop. The last leg then took runners back to the base in Dunkeswell. Runners made generous donations as well as a proportion of the entry fee going to Macmillan Cancer Relief charity. The magnificent sum of £3311 was presented before club members took part in the monthly 5k timed handicap. This month’s winner was Helen Williams who has recently joined the club graduating from the beginners’ group. Helen improved her time by a massive 3 minutes 14 seconds.
HRC are putting on their second event of the year on 16th July raising funds for the same charity. This social run is based from the Holman Clavel, Otterford, nr Taunton and entries will be open soon on www.honitonrc.com.

Howard's 65th birthday after Seaton Parkrun with Jo Pavey and daughter enjoying one of Helen's cakes! Jo and Emily also ran the Parkrun.

Sid Valley Ring
On Saturday 24th April, six Honiton Running Club members huddled around the bus shelter at the western end of Sidmouth Beach, sheltering from the cold morning wind ahead of the Sid Valley Ring Half. This was only the second running of this race which follows the newly created incredibly stunning Sid Valley Ring walking route. It is about a third on road, covers just over 2000 feet of elevation and loops through Fire Beacon, White Cross (East Hill), Sidbury, the Donkey Sanctuary and Salcombe Regis returning to Sidmouth along a beautiful stretch of the Coastal Path. The first four miles is pretty much all about climbing up and up and up. Close to the top, the six HRC members found themselves very close together and they remained pretty much so over the entire course, all finishing within less than 7 minutes of one another. Nick Couch finished 24th out of a field of 90 runners and first for HRC in a time of 02:18:45, closely followed by Russ Kingdon who completed his first half marathon in an impressive 02:19:02 and in 25th place. Next Hadleigh Davies and Rebecca Stevens completed the course in 02:21:59, placing 28th and 29th respectively. Hadleigh had kindly forsaken a faster race time to coax and pace Rebecca around the course. Clare Melbourne and Mark Newson finished next in 02:25:40 in 34th and 35th place. The rain held off and the sun came out towards the end of the course. It was a low key but very well organised event and no doubt likely to grow in popularity in the future.

Weston Super Mare Haf, Powderham 5 and 10 mile races, Exe to Axe and First Chance 10k
On Sunday 27th March, Honiton Running Club member Mandy Ward ran the deferred 2020 Weston Super Mare Half. Having been recovering from hamstring injury but having taken on the Grizzly earlier in the month, Mandy thought 13.1 road miles couldn’t be too hard. Mandy was raising money for Alzheimer's Society. Mandy dug deep in body and mind and was pleased to finish relatively strongly in a time of 2 hours 30 minutes.

Saturday, 2nd April saw the running of the City Runs 5 mile and 10 mile races at Powderham Castle. HRC’s Anna Dalzell and Vanessa Knowles ran together to finish 131st in 2 hours and 1 second. Callum Crawford won the race in 63:04. Three HRC runners took on the 5 mile version with great success. Mark Newson came 6th overall in 39:08 and Clare Melbourne was given 3rd lady podium position coming 15th overall in 43:15. Janice Newson came 77th in 53:35 and there were 77 finishers. Hugh Lea won the race in a time of 31:06.

On Sunday, 3rd April several HRC members were out in force tackling the Exe to Axe race which is 22 miles following the coast path from Exmouth to Seaton. This is a very tough race with just under 4000 foot of climb. However, runners are rewarded with spectacular views of the coastline at every twist and turn. It helped, this year, as the weather was perfect and the going good too with no mud in sight! First back for HRC was Johnny Bennett coming 14th in 3:29 delighted to beat his target of 3:30. Steve Davey had a fantastic run knocking 30 minutes off his time of last year and coming 1st in his category. Steve was 36th in 3:56. Steve was followed by his wife, Judy who led the HRC ladies home to come 43rd in exactly 4 hours. It was a family affair, as Steve and Judy’s daughter, Jo Buxton followed coming 64th in 4:18. Mark Dallyn had run the race together with Tim Wigram and Mark finished 75th in 4:23 and Tim right behind him, one second later. Rebecca Stevens was next coming 84th in 4:37 and the line-up was completed by Paula Ferris and Gareth Henwood who had also run together. They finished 95th in 4:40. The race was won by Matt Clist in the amazing time of 2:52. Thanks to Sidmouth Running Club for hosting this fabulous, albeit very challenging, event.

What a busy weekend! On the same day, Roger Saunders and Mark Newson ran the First Chance 10K organised by South West Road Runners (SWRR) from the Exeter Quay. This race is normally held in early January and the move to April clearly depleted the numbers with only 129 finishing. Mark ran it in 44:11 which considering he ran the previous day at Powderham was a good effort. Roger ran it in 52:10 his slowest 10K but was regaining fitness after several issues. The winner was Gareth Davies from SWRR in 34:05 and winning lady was Nikki Kelly from Tavistock in 38:48. The hope is next year it will be in early January again. After the race the Instep Devon results were awarded for 2021 and Ellie Spiller (Under 20) and Lin Grady (Vet 45) both from Honiton Running Club received awards as first in their categories.

Grizzly & Cub Report
On Sunday, 6th March Honiton Running Club members were out in force taking part in Axe Valley Runners’ infamous Grizzly and Cub races. It’s a short trip to the base at Seaton so it has to be done and many were taking on the event for the first time! This is a very challenging run of 20 miles with nearly 3,500 ft of climb. It also includes bogs, beach several times and the infamous Stairway to Heaven at the end of the beach stretch in Branscombe.
First back for HRC was Kevin Hawker in a time of 2 hours 56 minutes. He came 51st overall. Johnny Bennett was out to beat a time of 3 hours and he was delighted to achieve that finishing in 2:58 in 56th place. Husband and wife team Judy and Steve Davey were racing each other throughout the race passing each other countless times. As mile 18, they made a pact and decided that they should cross the finish line together. They did this holding hands coming 249th in 3:32 meaning Judy led the HRC lady runners home. Another husband and wife team ran together; Simon and Suzanne Spiller finished 444th in 3:54. Hadleigh Davies needed to get a move on as his other half is expecting a baby any day. He managed to beat the birth of the baby coming 501st in just over 4 hours. A group of HRC runners ran together for the entire race and all finished one after the other, seconds apart with Jo Buxton leading them over the line in 600th position in 4:11. She was followed by Rebecca Stevens, Louise Bennett, Paula Ferris and Gareth Henwood.
The race was won by David Green in the amazing time of 2:18 and there were 1211 finishers.
Other HRC Grizzly runners: 82nd Nick Silkstone 3:06, 122nd Tom Bornet 3:11, 156th Steve Page 3:16, 168th Marcus Durrant 3:20, 268th Step Boyes 3:34, 324th Tim Wigram 3:42, 327th Esme Moffett 3:42, 349th Pete Nichols 3:45, 387th Will Davis 3:48, 651st Rachel Hennessey 4:13, 752nd Linda Grady 4:26, 888th Becky Tydd 4:38, 951st Richard Kemp 4:49, 1011th Simon Bates 4:59, 1028th Mandy Ward 5:05, 1188th Debbie Vinnicombe 5:38 and 1189th Vanessa Knowles 5:38
Some HRC chose the shorter version of the Cub. This is still a very tough challenge offering everything that the Grizzly offers except the bogs and is about 9 miles in length.
Ceri Oak was the first lady and first back overall for the Club coming 29th in 1:22. She was followed by Vernon Gillard who came 67th In 1:35. Julian Gigg was next back only deciding to do the shorter Cub run mid race. He came 90th in 1:36.
The race was won by Tom Perry in a few seconds over the hour and there were 573 runners.
Other HRC Cub runners: 172nd Donna Stone 1:46, 269th Simon Gilbert 1:55, 275th Joshua Foundling Hawker 1:56, 291st Steve Selley 1:57, 393rd Teresa Pollard 2:05, 426th Matt Clarke 2:08, 444th Pip Vanham 2:10 and 445th Katy Lancaster 2:10.
Thanks to everyone involved in the organisation of the event, especially the committee from Axe Valley Runners. Thanks also to the many landowners and to the extremely supportive and vocal marshals who were out on the course for hours! The drummers and other entertainers along the route also deserve a big round of applause. All in all a great day for running this awesome race.

Axmouth Challenge
On Sunday, 16th February, the Axmouth Challenge race, with Covid safe measures in place, was back this year after having a break in 2021. There were 4 different distances on offer; 9, 5, 3 or 1 miles. Honiton Running Club members were out in force with most tackling the 9 mile option although the 5 mile option was tackled too. First back for HRC was Johnny Bennett who came 12th in 1 hour 9 minutes and 37 seconds. First HRC lady back was Ceri Oak who came 18th in 1:16:59 and 2nd lady home overall.
The next three HRC runners came in one after the other and just 9 seconds split them. Howard Bidmead was the first of the trio coming 22nd in 1:17:42 and then came Steve Page 7 seconds later and completing the trio was Mark Dallyn just 2 seconds after Steve.
Then came another plethora of HRC runners who had enjoyed a battle over most of the race. First of these 4 was Lou Bennett who finished 29th in 1:19:44. Paula Ferris came in 7 seconds later, then Steve Davey 14 seconds later and then it was 15 seconds before Judy Davey crossed the line.
There was a bit of a break from HRC runners with Rebecca Stevens coming next ; 42nd in 1:25:07. Kate Harding came 57th in 1:30:05. Martin Killick came 67th in 1:33:06 and Simon Bates came 74th in 1:41:59. Axe Valley Runner’s Andrew Snook won the race in a time of 58:56 and there were 94 finishers.
Mandy Ward did the 5 mile option and was delighted with her run following a bout of injury to come 12th in 1:00:35. Simon Dimmock won the race in 38:23 and there were 21 finishers. Thanks to the organisers and volunteers for a great race with a fabulous atmosphere.

Honiton Running Club Runners

Blackdown Beast Report
Over 230 runners from all parts of the UK, including Scotland and Wales took part in Honiton Running Club’s Blackdown Beast. This year, for the first time, the base was at the SkyDive Centre on Dunkeswell Airfield which was an ideal venue with the staff being very accommodating. Refreshments were available both before and after the run from The Aviator. Although the temperature was above freezing, the wind chill factor made the start feel extremely cold but runners soon warmed up once they got going and ran down into the valley. The Beast is a very social, self-navigated run. Runners followed a picturesque cross country route of 7.6 miles on seldom used footpaths to Smeatharpe. Here they enjoyed a doughnut and a cup of tea at Smeatharpe Village Hall as a reward for their hard work. The next leg of the run is 2.8 miles on lanes and country paths which drops down to the village of Upottery and the Sidmouth Arms which provides more sustenance to the runners. The 10 mile option finished here with minibus transport provided taking the 10 milers back to Dunkeswell, The 16 milers then took the road to Rawridge where they rejoined footpaths across country, over fields and the River Otter before climbing to the top of the ridge to the viewpoint above Luppitt for a spectacular panorama of the surrounding countryside before running the remainder of the 3.3 miles to the Luppitt Inn for another refreshment stop. The Luppitt Inn is one of the smallest pubs in the country but, this year, the actual pub is being refurbished so has temporarily located to Luppitt Village Hall. The last 2.7 mile leg of the day takes runners on muddy fields and quiet country lanes back to Dunkeswell Airfield for well-earned drink and food. A great day was had by all and very few reported getting lost and those who did, did not stray too far before getting back on route. Well over £2000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Relief.

Sir Walter Raleigh Trail Half Marathon
The Sir Walter Raleigh Trail Half Marathon held on Sunday, 16th January is new to the Climb South West events series so drew a fabulous crowd of runners on its maiden outing, 7 of which were Honiton Running Club members. The Walter Raleigh Round visits the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh and the countryside where he spent time as a child. The route includes, quiet back lanes, unsurfaced county roads, little known footpaths, the Otter valley, High Peak, the Jurassic Coast and a dismantled railway. The race starts and finishes in the coastal town of Budleigh Salterton. The race set off promptly at 10am and the sun was shining. The course was challenging as the terrain was muddy and slippy with steep gradients to tackle. Johnny Bennett was first home for the HRC team coming 18th place. Johnny ran over distance like lots of the front runners due to a signage error completing 14.81 miles in 2 hours 3 mins. New HRC member Nick Couch ran his first trail half for the club having a fantastic run, hitting the hills like a seasoned runner. Nick, Louise Bennett and Paula Ferris ran the race as a 3 and all crossed the line together in 2 hours 16 mins in 46th place. Louise and Paula were the 6th and 7th ladies to cross the line. Olivia Higginson-Killen added another half to her collection coming 75th in 2 hours 43, closely followed by Jennie Sleeman a passionate trail runner 109th - 2 hours 59 and Donna Stone placed 111th in 2 hours 59 who also had an enjoyable run over the scenic course.
The marshals were supportive over the whole course and this included some of the clubs own runners including Rachel Hennessey, Mandy Ward and Mike Mears.
The event was won by Sam Kelly in 1 hour 20 mins with a total of 140 runners finishing the race.

Race at Your Pace – Annual Running Challenge
In January 2021 Paula and Lou entered a virtual running challenge (through “Race at your Pace”) of completing 1,000 miles in the year.
They have both trained together and ran most of their bigger runs as a team so it felt fit that they chose to run their last miles of 2021 together on New Years Eve. This finished their total running miles for this year to a close of 1,270 miles for Paula and following just behind with 1,266 miles for Lou. Both going way over the 1,000 mile target they had set themselves.
Paula and Lou have completed events at various distances this year but their main event being the North Devon Ultra back in October. They both agreed that this certainly helped them to achieve over their goal of 1,000 miles for last year.

Running Events Bell Challenge
On New Year’s Eve, several Honiton Running Club members took part in the Running Events Bell Challenge. These are events run over the 4 days of the New Year bank holiday weekend. There were several distances on offer and runners could even choose to run continuously for 7 hours! Kevin Hawker had intended to do this but an injury curtailed this plan. However, Kev did brilliantly to run 20 miles. Jennie Sleeman celebrated completing her 50th half marathon; her first one being Exeter Half in 2003. Olivia Killen completed her 53rd half marathon but not content with this, Olivia then went on to complete numbers 54 and 55 all over the bank holiday weekend. Participants run out and back laps of 5.3k each starting from Budleigh Salterton along a scenic route on an old disused train line.

If you have been inspired by these efforts and are thinking of trying out running, HRC is running a beginners’ 8 week course. This will be a tried and tested training plan and, once finished, participants should be able to run 5k. These are being held on Monday evenings at 6.30pm from the carpark in Silver Street, Honiton. Qualified run leaders will help, guide and inspire people to achieve their goals. No previous running experience is necessary and if interested, or for more information, please contact Paula at postiveenerje@gmail.com

Plym Trail Series
On 11th December two Honiton Running Club members took part in the Plym Trail Series. Stephen Boyes took part in the marathon finishing 7th in 3 hours 46 minutes. The race was won by Ross Portass in just over 3 hours and there were 24 finishers. Jennie Sleeman had a fantastic race to come 1st lady and 2nd overall in a time of 1:54. The winner was Mark Thomas in 1:45. There were 28 finishers. This followed Jennie being awarded the Cross Country Trophy at the Club’s annual awards during the Christmas party the night before. The races have their base at Clearbrook, Devon and are organised by First and Last Running.
Escot Jolly Marathon and Half
On Sunday, 12th December Kevin Hawker took part in the Escot Jolly Marathon. He had not raced for over 2 ½ years so was extremely chuffed to win it in a time of 3:34. The marathon consists of laps of pathways, woodland trails and fields where in one of the fields nestles the 30 metre optional waterslide specially made for the Escot hill. For the marathon there are 6 chances as the route is a lap of 6 times. The rest of the route is muddy and hilly. Olivia Killen and Kathy Layzell ran the Half Marathon together, thoroughly enjoying themselves singing carols and Christmas songs, having a laugh and embracing the long fast water slide to finish in 2:53.

Bicton Blister & Lite
On Sunday, 28th November, Honiton Running Club was out in force taking part in Exmouth Harriers’ Bicton Blister. This is a multi-terrain run of just over 10 miles with the base at Bicton College. The run goes mainly over Woodbury Common although starts and ends with a mile of road. It was a perfect day for running with conditions very dry if a little chilly. HRC’s John Bennett and Marcus Durrant finished together coming 57th in 1:21:13 having stopped to help a runner who was knocked over by a dog. Howard Bidmead was next back coming 99th in 1:27:43. Mark Dallyn has been injured and this was his first race for some time and by far the longest run he has done for a while. He came 127th in 1:30:25. Jo Buxton was the first HRC lady back having knocked about 20 minutes off the Castle Drogo race just two weeks’ ago and of a very similar length. She came 144th overall in 1:32:04. Jo had run the entire race with Rebecca Stevens swapping places many times. Rebecca came 147th in 1:32:18. Jo and Rebecca had overtaken Judy Davey during the latter stages and Judy followed Rebecca just 2 places and 13 seconds later. The race was won by Robert Ellis in 1 hour 1 minute and there were 387 finishers.
Other HRC Blister finishers: 108th Steve Davey 1:28:18, 178th Tim Wigram 1:35:59, 183rd Pippa Westall 1:36:45, 193rd Rachel Hennessey 1:37:04, 200th Roger Saunders 1:37:50, 205th Richard Harris 1:38:31, 209th Jennie Sleeman 1:38:51, 230th Linda Grady 1:41: 23, 244th Shane Hudd 1:42:47 and 317th Katy Lancaster 1:55:41.
Pip Vanham wasn’t feeling very well and decided at the cut off to take the Bicton Lite option which is a similar shorter option of about 5 miles in length. Pip came 75th in 59:36. The Lite was won by Adam Buckley in 32:21 and there were 92 finishers.

Olivia's 50th Half Marathon
On 20th November Olivia Killen successfully completed her 50th Half Marathon. This was the Running Events Devon November Challenge based in Exmouth. It has taken Olivia longer than she had initially hoped to complete her personal challenge as there were no events during the various lockdowns.
Massive congratulations Olivia - what an amazing achievement!

Drogo 10
Honiton Running Club members were out in force on Sunday, 14th November taking part in the Drogo 10 based at Castle Drogo. Views are spectacular and Castle Drogo itself is looking splendid with all the scaffolding gone having been fully restored over several years. The run is almost 10 miles and all off road. Runners are taken up two ascents including the infamous Hunter’s Path at mile 8. Over the route there is a total of over 1400 ft of climb. The race was won by Samuel Kell in 1 hour 1 minute and the first HRC runner back was Pete Nichols coming 63rd in 1:26. Honiton’s first lady, Ceri Oak, was next back coming 72nd in 1:27 with Mark Newson hot on her heels coming in 2 places and just 14 seconds later. Judy Davey managed to finish all of 3 seconds faster than she did when the race was last run 2 years ago. She came 120th in 1:34. There were some spectacular personal best times with Jennie Sleeman beating hers by 7 minutes to come 179th in 1:41. Clare Melbourne coming 184th in 1:42 beating her pb by 10 minutes. Richard Harris took a bit of a tumble but did well to pick himself up and despite not racing much recently due to injury came 186th in 1:42, just 3 seconds behind Clare. This was Jo Buxton’s first race since having her daughter 5 months ago and she took it easy enjoying the scenery to come 240th in 1:51. Pip Vanham was carrying club mascot, Wiley, and both enjoyed the great scenery. Pip came 315th in 2:10. There were 336 finishers.
Other HRC runners: 102nd Howard Bidmead 1:31, 111th Steve Davey 1:32, 157th Pippa Westall 1:38, 173rd Rachel Hennessey 1:40, 192nd Linda Grady 1:44, 216th Shane Hudd 1:48, 233rd Kate Harding 1:50, 284th Katy Lancaster 2:00, 293rd Kathy Layzell 2:03 and 321st Donna Stone 2:14.

Sidmouth 10k & Bideford 10 Miles
New Honiton Running Club runner Lottie Elise took part in the LM Sidmouth 10k race on Sunday, 7th November. Lottie was delighted to gain a surprising personal time for the distance coming in so close to the hour mark. Simon Bates also took part on this beautifully sunny but chilly day. About 400 runners took part. The race started at Sidford Social Hall following the entire length of the byes down onto the beautiful Sidmouth sea front before looping back round when racers retraced their steps.
On the same day, HRC Chairperson, Pip Vanham took part in the Bideford 10 mile race. Pip took the club mascot, Wiley, out for a rare outing. He hasn’t managed to get out lately due to a certain global pandemic. The course’s base was at the Bideford Amateur Athletic Club Clubhouse and takes in magnificent views of the Taw and Torridge estuary. The course heads out on roads and returns on the Tarka Trail, taking runners through a tunnel. The race is moderately flat, with only three small inclines. Pip helped pace a friend who was running her first 10 miler. She wanted to beat 2 hours so was thrilled with 1 hour 47 minutes. A huge well done to both Pip and her friend.

Studland Stampede
Several Honiton Running Club runners took part in the Studland Stampede on Sunday, 17th October. This is a tough off-road running event that races over heath land and sandy beaches, in the beautiful location of Studland Bay in Dorset. The 12k route offers stunning views of Old Harry Rocks, Brownsea Island and the Isle of Wight. Runners of all abilities enjoy the race but it does require an amount of determination and grit to get through the final tough sandy miles. The start was in 3 waves in order to separate runners a little on the beach at the start. The weather was perfect.
First back for HRC was Mark Newson who came 35th in 59:04. Howard Bidmead had a great run and was delighted to finish under the hour coming 44th in 59:38. He was followed by Steve Davey who came 78th in 1:03:48. Richard and Pippa Harris haven’t raced for over two years and they finished one after each other with Richard coming 114th in 1:08:47 and Pippa just 12 seconds later. Lyn Pike loves this race and did well to come 155th in 1:12:39. Clare Melbourne followed shortly after coming 158th in 1:13:12 with Sue Jones finishing the HRC line-up to come 223rd in 1:19:46. There were 351 finishers.

Exe to Axe
Several Honiton Running Club members took part in Sidmouth Running Club’s JP’s Exe to Axe race on Sunday, 10th October. The race begins at Exmouth and follows the coast path all the way to Seaton. It is a particularly tough race with nearly 4000 foot of climb in the 22 miles. Of course, there are spectacular views and it was a perfect day with plenty of sunshine. This year, because of Covid restrictions, runners could start any time between 8.30am and 10.10am with chip timing being used to record the results.
The race was won by Samuel Kelly in the amazing time of 2 hours 40 minutes and the first lady home was Lucy Commander in the equally awesome time of 3:25. First back for Honiton was Johnny Bennett who came 38th overall in 3:55 having secured his place at the last minute. Marcus Durant followed coming 51st in 4:09 reporting that he felt broken at the finish. Steve Davey was pleased with his run coming 67th in 4:28 having had the company of other club mates throughout the entire race. Firstly, he ran with Rebecca Stevens and Tim Wigram and was later joined for 10 miles by Howard Bidmead who was out for his usual Sunday training run. Sharon Wells was the first HRC lady home coming 70th in 4:32 and Rebecca was hot on her heels finishing in 4:34 and 5 places later. Tim Wigram was disappointed with his race and blamed a lack of a banana as fuel meaning he finished in 4:54 and 103rd place. This is Clare Melbourne’s first really long race since the birth of son, Edward, less than a year ago. She came 108th in exactly 5 hours having run with Mark Newson for support for the entire race. Mike Mears and Mandy Ward ran together finishing 135th in 5:31. All the runners did really well as anyone who knows the coast path will know how tough it is. There were 141 finishers recorded and several DNFs.
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Chester Marathon – Esme is back fitter and stronger.
One of our seasoned marathon runners Esme Moffett is back to her true running form by stepping up to the start line of Chester marathon on Sunday the 3rd of October 2021. Esme has worked hard on her training taking time and scheduling in long runs, speed work and hill training around her work as a highly skilled vet. Managing a busy family life but focusing on cross training too with the addition of home workouts. These included HIIT, strength, conditioning and flexibility.
The race started at Chester Racecourse providing a spectacular backdrop for both runners and spectators. The fast (and mainly flat) route covered 19 miles in England and 7 miles in Wales. The weather was very changeable with wind and rain but with an early start time of 9am competitors soon got warmed up. More than 2,000 runners took part and Esme crossed the line in 3hours and 32 mins. 11th/119 in her age category, 25th Female/ 762 and 304th/2491 in the entire race. Well done Esme.
The race was won by Michael Young to win with a time of 02:27:31

“Paula and Lou take on the North Coast Ultra 55km”
Paula Ferris and Louise Bennett ran their first ultra together on 2nd October 2021. They have ran many races together but this being both their longest and toughest challenge by far!
The event was run by Climb South West and started in Combe Martin heading to the finish at Minehead…(55km). It completes a full traverse of the Exmoor Coast and is nearly completely off road including the largest stretch of coastal woodland in England and Wales…making the undercliff from Lyme Regis to Seaton seem easy! It is described as a tough section of the coast and should not be underestimated with elevation reaching over 6,000 feet and it did not fail to deliver this!
As they started the race at 7:30am with the rain and wind already upon them they headed straight up for their first elevation of up to 1,000 feet heading to Great Hangman….it certainly pays to live in East Devon when these runs take you straight out onto hills! Once the runners spaced out, Paula and Lou continued to follow the South West Coast path signs all the way to the first check point at Lynmouth (approx. 13/14miles into the route). The coast path that runs along this way is not for the faint hearted with a sheer drop to your left so it wasn’t the time to put a foot wrong. After refilling water and eating some compulsory cake they headed off for checkpoint 2…another 11 miles to go. Along this section the weather continued to challenge them but also at points became very calm as they continued to be sheltered by the massive cliffs on their right. This part also included the largest stretch of coastal woodland. It was here that Lou took a tumble to the deck but luckily headed for a soft landing. Heading for their second checkpoint at Porlock Weir they were met by husbands Adam and Johnny as support crew. This was a great boost and feeling that there was only one more section to go.
They left the men still feeling strong but took a wrong turn so had to back track taking them onto the beach. Nothing prepared them for the last elevation to come after this! At this point the only thing on their side was the sun was trying to come out! They continued to dig deep but making it to the top…still chatting or trying as they went! Again then they were met by Adam and Johnny with only 2½ miles to go until the finish….both men joking they could actually hear them coming before they could see them! A great sign to show the girls were obviously still in good spirits. They then finished, after again taking a wrong turn adding on an extra mile and coming into the finish the wrong way! 36 miles complete.
What a journey. It was an amazing experience and a part of the coast path that is pretty much inaccessible for miles….very different to our Jurassic coast path and Dartmoor where they have trained on. Every terrain of mud, stones, beach, fields, road and unimaginable elevation were experienced adding the weather elements too.
There were 52 (17 ladies and 35 men) entries into the 55km route but running alongside this were runners competing to complete a massive 110km and 110mile routes!
1st Place was taken by James Long out on the course for a total of 5hrs 39mins. 51 finished the course with Paula and Lou taking 7th/8th place in the ladies category and 24th/25th overall with a time out on route of 8hrs 30mins but total running time of just over 8 hours. The last person for this mileage crossed the line after just under 13 hours from the start. This was not a chipped time event so is complete time out on the course and not true running time. Cut off time for this event was 14 hours.

Honiton Hippo
Congratulations to everyone who took part in this Year's Honiton Hippo!
Results below:
Hippo
Hippo Calf

Honiton Runners before the Hippo

Honiton Hippo & Calf
After a 2 ½ year break, Honiton Running Club managed to run its own Honiton Hippo and Hippo Calf races. The Hippo is a tough, just over 7 mile run that takes runners on country roads, through woodland, over fields and through the Landrover Experience. There are two river crossings as well as the dunking runners are subjected to in the Landrover Experience. There are several extreme ascents to contend with too! The weather was perfect and there wasn’t too much mud. Andrew Snook won the main race and the first female was Olivia Taylor. Many of HRC’s members were involved with marshalling but Marcus Durant was first back for the club coming 12th in 1 hour 1 minute. Mark Dallyn followed coming 26th in 1:06. Lin Grady had a fantastic race and was very surprised to find she had won her age category. She was 43rd overall in 1:16. Mandy Ward came 50th in 1:21 and Shane Hudd was hot on her heels coming in one place and one minute later. Shane’s wife, Michala, was next back coming 67th in 1:28. Father and son team, George and Sam Oldfield, had run together and finished 80th in 1:36. Former HRC junior, Ashleigh Ford-Cosens, finished 85th in 1:38 completing the HRC line-up. Numbers were down for a variety of reasons but over 100 eventually crossed the finish line.
The Calf is aimed at Under 16s and many HRC Junior members took part. This is a 1.7 mile run taking in a river crossing and some tough woodland running with a nasty hill thrown in. HRC’s George Pemberton won the race overall finishing in11 minutes 21 seconds. The 1st girl home was Hannah Carr in 13:34. As well as George, HRC runners had great success with many bagging prizes including 3rd girl, Fay Driscoll 14:49; U11 Boy - Taylor Anderson, 11th in 15:01; U13 Boy - Finn Driscoll, 6th in 13:30; U16 Boy - Charlie Wheeler, 4th in 13:03; U13 Girl - Eloise Dean, 19th in 16:02 and U16 Girl - Ella Spiller, 10th in 14:50. Other HRC Junior runners were: 5th Max Spiller 13:15, 12th Alex Yapp 15:06, 16th Noah Pemberton 15:39, 17th George Bornet 15:38, 18th Keir Osborne 16:01, 21st Imogen Clarke 16:14, 22nd Megan Shaw 17:24 and 28th Joseph Dean 21:04. There were 35 finishers.
Thanks to all the marshals, organisers, landowners, cake makers and everyone else who made this a great event.

Dartmoor in a Day
Three members of HRC took part in the self-navigation trail run or walk organised by ClimbSouthwest across Dartmoor last weekend. The weather was typically damp and misty adding to the navigational challenge!
Clare Melbourne and Mark Newson ran from Postbridge to Ivybridge, completing the 30km (18miles) in 4hrs 29mins. First back on this distance was Adam Bradshaw in a time of 3hrs 5mins.
Sherrie Hair took on the 50km (32mile) ultramarathon from Okehampton to Ivybridge for the second time. She finished 3rd overall in a time of 5hrs 33mins. The 50km was won by Colin Clarke in 5hrs 22mins, narrowly followed by Pip Riches in 5hrs 23 mins.
A big thank you to ClimbSouthwest for organising yet another great event and to all the volunteers.

Brighton Marathon – Gareth hits his goal
One of our newest club members - Gareth Henwood, took on his first ever marathon at Brighton on Sunday the 12th of September 2021. Training went well hitting specific targets on long runs, consistently putting in the weekly hill sessions and interval sets throughout the summer. The 16 week programme, including trail running, various cross training HIIT workouts, strength training and stretching. Running with the club has not only helped with different speed groups and trail activities like the “Beauty” but listening to other members experiences too.
Target and goal time was to cross the line in under 4 hours. Highly motivated, Gareth was running for the Prostrate Cancer charity of which is close to the Honiton Fire Fighter community. The support and generosity of family and friends would keep spirits high both mentally and physically.
On the day the weather was warmer than expected which is great for the spectators and supporters but possibly not for the runners. The atmosphere was buzzing and the race went well, hitting a tricky point at the 15 mile point. Gareth dug deep and pushed himself, spurred on by family support around the course crossed the line in 3 hours 59 mins and 55 seconds – amazing.
Finishing in the top ¼ of his age category (101/441) and 1474th out of 7232 runners. Totally ecstatic to hit his target all the hard work had paid off. What a great 1st Marathon for Gareth raising an amazing total of £1,165 – despite later on in the day a notification that the course was over marked by 568m it was worth every step.
The winner of the event was Neil McClements in a time of 2:33:44

September 2021 - Well done Jo!

August Handicap - Well done Steve!

Summer Larmer MT Half marathon
On August 1st Olivia Killen, Rchael Hennessey and Jennie Sleeman ran the Summer Larmer MT Half marathon at Tollard Royal near Blandford. The race was organised by fun-loving White Star Running with entertainment, camping, several races and entertainment – including a barn dance on the Saturday night – adding to the party atmosphere over the weekend. The run was everything a trail race should be: woodland trails, fields, tracks, mud and two killer hills (with stunning views when the clouds lifted). Finishers received not just an enormous medal, but local beer, fudge and a muff. Pip Vanham had planned to run, but was unable to. Instead, having camped on Saturday, she was there to greet the runners before the start and to share coffee and cake afterwards. Jennie came in 57/159 in 02;27:33, followed by Rachael in 02:35:10. They ran together until the last mile or so, when Rachael suffered a recurring injury. Olivia followed soon after in )2:44:37. The winner was Paul Russell in 01:33:24.

Payhembury Duathlon

All the ruunners and riders at the start

On 15 August 2021 Honiton Running Club and Honiton Spinners came together at the annual Payhembury Duathlon which consists of a 3.8 mile run followed by a 15 mile bike ride and finally a 2.4 mile run from the Payhembury village hall. This was the first ‘real’ event the Running Club had hosted for some time due to the Covid restrictions. The weather was mostly dry and not too hot which was ideal for the runners and riders. There were 30 athletes comprising of 17 teams either of a single person doing all 3 legs or 2/3 persons per team each doing the run or ride. The winning team of Steve Davey (runs) and Julian Gigg (ride) in a time of 1:32:43 only entered the event 30 minutes before it started so the secret in winning maybe being unprepared for doing it!. Husband and wife team Ceri and Warren Oak won the mixed team prize in a time of 1:38:48 after coming back from walking in Snowdonia. David Hatfield-Shaw was the first male back to do all three legs in a time of 1:39:46 and Hannah Brown the first female back having done all 3 legs in a time of 1:47:40. Finally mother and daughter team Judy Davey and Jo Buxton won the ladies team in a time of 1:47:59. Mention should also be made of Julian Gigg for the fastest ride around the route and Mike Mears for the fastest times in both runs. All the results and more photos are at http://www.honitonrc.com/duathlon.html.
There was much cake on offer to be consumed afterwards to refuel the athletes. Thanks go to Jennie Sleeman and Roger Saunders for organising the event and to Payhembury School for allowing their playground to be used as the transition area. All profits from this event will go to the school.
Photos of all the winners are on the Duathlon page.

Haytor Heller
Last Saturday on the hottest day of the year, Teignbridge Trotters hosted the 35th Haytor Heller 10k on Dartmoor. Starting at 5.30pm the race begins with the infamous climb to the top of Haytor followed by a sharp descent to the old quarry line and an undulating and spectacular run across the moor before another steep climb to the top of Hound Tor. From here runners descend into the valley below before another tortuous climb back up to Haytor and the final sprint down to the finish line. All in all nearly 1200 feet of climb.

5 Honiton runners took part with Mark Newson having a really good race being the first Honiton member home finishing in a time of 61m 28s and finishing 53rd overall. Next home was Howard Bidmead a veteran of this event who ran a steady pace and finished in a good time of 70m 46s and in 109th position and 3rd in the MO60 Category.

The Honiton ladies were represented by Olivia Killen, Michelle Selley and Kathy Layzell. All three ladies ran together and had a thoroughly enjoyable race crossing the line in 204th, 205th and 206th respectively with Olivia leading them in with a time of 1.30.17s and Michelle finishing three seconds later followed by Kathy in 1.30.27.

The race was won by James Baker from Chichester Runners & AC in a time of 43.01s. Liz Dyson from Haldon Trail Runners was First Lady home, finishing 24th overall in a time of 50.54s.

There were 244 finishers.

Otter Vale Rail and River Run
With running events now taking place again and several local events happening over the weekend, 5 members of Honiton Running Club made the short trip to Tipton St. John for the Otter Rail and River 10k.

The course left Tipton playing fields and followed the banks of the Otter to Harpford, returning through Harpford woods and back to Tipton along the Old Railway Line.

Running conditions were ideal but recent rain had left the course extremely muddy in places and slippery underfoot.

First home of the Honiton Runners was Mark Newson who finished in a time of 47 minutes 33 seconds and 32nd overall. Esme Moffett was next for Honiton in 35th place in a time of 49.23. Esme was second lady home overall and also won the O35 F category. Next for Honiton was Howard Bidmead in 37th place in a time of 50.16. Kate Harding was next for Honiton finishing 103rd in 63.57 with Janice Newson next in 169th position and finishing in a time of 73.32.

The race was won by Toby Garrick in 36.00. There were 216 finishers.

Ham to Lyme
Some Honiton Running Club members took part in the Ham to Lyme Ultra Marathon Race on Saturday, 3rd July. As its name suggests the race took a multi-terrain route from Ham Hill to Lyme Regis. Jennie Sleeman, Vanessa Knowles, Michele Selley and Kathy Layzell set off together. Richard Kemp and Tim Wigram set off soon after them. The weather was a mixed bag but was basically kind as it was a bit muggy and a little too warm but there were also a few cooling drops of rain. The race is tough with plenty of hills on the 30 mile route with a several chances to get lost! All HRC runners survived with no falls! When they finished they were told to climb up a hill to get on the bus but unfortunately, a few of runners staggered all the way up the wrong hill to find no bus! Luckily, they were quickly chauffeured around by Asilah Jarrald, a HRC runner herself, to the bus just before it left! The girls ran at a sensible steady pace and took just over 8 hours. Richard and Tim also kept together throughout the race finishing in about 6 hours 20 minutes.

Coombe Keynes Trail 10k at Lulworth

With races returning to the running calendar, Honiton Running Club members Howard Bidmead, Mark Newson and Sharon Wells travelled to Dorset for the Coombe Keynes Trail 10k at Lulworth. The weather was warm, damp and overcast making conditions slightly muggy but ideal for running. The course was undulating, muddy and slippery in places and took runners through the Lulworth Estate and past Lulworth Castle before returning to the quaint Dorset village of Coombe Keynes. Covid restrictions were in place before the start and after the pre race briefing, the runners were held very briefly on mass before the off and to cheers from the many spectators that were present.

Howard Bidmead had a fine race and was really pleased after 8 months without an event. Howard finished in 43rd position in a time of 50m 45s and was 3rd in the O60 category. Mark Newson and Sharon Wells ran together finishing 134th and 135th respectively in a time of 63m 26s.

The race was won by Julian Critchlow from Purbeck Runners in a time of 39.52. There were 263 finishers.

Plym Trail Marathon and Half Marathon
Three Honiton Running Club members joined First and Last Running at their race headquarters (a gazebo, a van and a portaloo on the grass) in the tiny village of Clearbrook, on the edge of Dartmoor, on May 1st and 2nd. Runners dodged ponies, cattle, walkers and families on bikes along the Plym Trail. It was a chilly start as runners ran up the hill through the village and back down again before heading off along Route 27 on the old railway line, but the rain held off until late morning.
Steve Boyes breezed along to complete the marathon double, Jennie Sleeman completed the half Marathon double and Kathy Layzell completed the Saturday half Marathon.
Saturday: Steve completed the marathon in 3:55:50, coming 8/25. The winner was Jonathan Dumelow in 3:10:46. In the half marathon, Jennie came in 6/23 in 2:01:46 and Kathy finished 18th in 2:18:31. The winner was Mike Saywell in 1:47:50
Sunday: Steve completed his second marathon only two minutes slower than on Saturday, coming 17/32 in 3:57:54. The winner was Lee Muscott in 2:56:48. Jennie was also two minutes slower in the half marathon, coming 16/31 in 2:03:13. The winner was Graeme Chamberlain in 1:40:25. It was a sunnier, warmer day and this time there was even a steam train chugging out of the station.

East Devon Round
On Saturday, 1st May, two Honiton Running Club members took on the epic East Devon Round. This is organised by local runner, Alasdair Moffett, with a great deal of help from his wife Esme and many other friends. This was the second running of the event which was cancelled last year. This is a mainly off road ultra-marathon of about 64 miles in length. The race starts and finishes in Offwell and runners also have the option of running half of it and stopping at Blackbury Camp. The route is amazing with many beautiful vistas of the East Devon countryside including Dane’s Hill at Dalwood, the River Yarty, Lyme Regis, Seaton, Blackbury Camp, Pen Point Wood, Hartridge Common and Dumpton. Of course, in order to see the views runners have to climb many hills and there is almost 9000 ft of climb on the route. The race was won by Gareth Shellard in the amazing time of 11 hours 16 minutes. The first lady home, Rachel Fawcett, finished in 12 hours 3 minutes. HRC’s Judy Davey was 3rd lady home, 16th overall and delighted to finish in 14 hours 55 minutes. This is more than twice as far that Judy has ever run before. HRC’s men were represented by Adam Hennessey who had run the race in 2019. He suffered in the latter stages but pushed on through the pain to finish 30th in 17 hours 10 minutes. Approximately 50 runners completed the full distance. Support around the course was phenomenal and the event was extremely well organised. The weather was chilly but mainly alright although there was a freezing hail storm followed by heavy rain during the afternoon which dampened runners’ spirits for a while. Thanks to Alasdair, his crew and, of course, the landowners.
Sid Valley Ring
On the same day, after being rescheduled due to Covid from the 2nd January some HRC members finally got to run their first race of the year! Paula Ferris, Johnny Bennett, Tim Pepper, Hadleigh Davies, Mike Mears, Mandy Ward, Rachel Hennessey, Louise Bennett and Gareth Henwood all took on the hilly challenge of the Sid Valley Ring organised by Climb South West and reaching a total of over 2,000 ft in elevation and climb. The start and finish being along Sidmouth Seafront. Runners were greeted with beautiful sunshine and a well organised check in point and staggered starts to comply with current guidelines. Paula, Johnny, Tim, Hadleigh, Gareth and Lou set off first as they had decided to run as a team of 6 and turned out wearing their newly sponsored t-shirts supplied by local company Jurassic Fibre. Mike and Mandy followed and Rachel set off soon after at about 9am. The first mile was pretty much uphill which was hard going with not much of a warm up. It was well worth the views as you get to the top and continue along this inland to coastal route. The route was well marked, with a feed station including homemade cake half way around and friendly support all the way. It didn’t go without a little drama as Tim took a trip/dive down the path down through Dunscombe Cliffs (around mile 10). Luckily the first aid kit came to good use and Paula’s first aid bandaging skills were put to the test! Gareth had been pleased the run had been postponed due to having an injury so this meant he had time to train and recover for his first event as an HRC member. All the members thoroughly enjoyed the run. Rachel completed the course in 2:35:41, Paula, Johnny, Hadleigh, Tim, Gareth and Lou all came in together with a time of 2:39:06, Mandy with 2:58:45 and Mike with 2:58.52. There were 176 runners. The first person back was Kevin Bale with a time of 1:36:43. It was nice to be back at an event again although a little different from the normal and the medal was worth every effort put in on the hills.

April 2021 Handicap - Well done Clare!

Tough Runner Exeter Epic 10k
On Saturday, 17th April, three ladies of Honiton Running Club took on the Tough Runner Exeter Epic 10k based at Haldon Forest. They ran the race mostly together and treated the terrain with respect due to the stones. It was also the first race the trio had taken on after such a long break due to the pandemic. It was super to see so many runners from all over the country and a really good atmosphere was present. HRC times were: 506th position Jennie sleeman 1 hour 2 minutes with Michele Selley and Kathy Layzell finishing together 535th place in 1 hour 43 minutes. There were 805 finishers.

CapTEN
On Sunday, 25th October several Honiton Running Club Members took on Bridport Runners CapTEN, a 10 mile registered fell run taking in Thorncombe Beacon (twice) and Golden Cap - the 2 highest points on the South West Coast with 2,400 feet of climbing. The majority of the route follows the South West Coastal Path over National Trust Land starting and finishing in Seatown. The race was socially distanced with no aid stations and one runner being set off every 30 seconds. It was a blustery day with some very localised rain storms and some runners got a drenching whilst others remained dry. Mark Newson led HRC home coming 12th overall in 1 hour 38 minutes. He was followed by Mark Dallyn who finished 20th in 1:42. Judy Davey was the first HRC lady back coming 24th overall in 1:46:05. Judy’s husband Steve was next back coming just one place and 30 seconds later. Rebecca Stevens followed coming 42nd in 1:59 having taken a few photos of the stunning scenery along the way. Howard Bidmead came 48th in 2:04 and Janice Newson was 54th in 2:11. The winner was Christian Green in 1:14 and there were 70 finishers. This was a particularly well organised race in unusual circumstances. The marshals were well briefed and supportive and the course was well marked.

This Week from

3rd October 2022

Club Calendar

Mon-Wed nights meet at 6:30pm at Silver St Car Park unless advised below. If you need a lift just ask on FB or email.

Hi Vis/Reflectors are essential for club runs in the winter and head torches when out of town.
Monday, 3 Oct Offwell Run
Run on lanes from Offwell Village Hall. W3W - batches.unit.thatched Starts 6:40.
Tuesday 4 Oct - Kev's speed training
Wed 5 Oct Howard's Training
Meet Silver St Car Park, Honiton at 6:40. - W3W - deal.flip.scenes
Saturday: Parkruns
Killerton Parkrun at 9am
Exeter Parkrun at 9am
Seaton Parkrun at 9am
Exmouth Parkrun at 9am.
Haldon Forest Parkrun at 9am
Sunday 9 Oct Quantocks Run

Maps and Parking here

Club Kit Page

Order Form for kit here

Page Editors
Judy, Roger