Honiton Running Club Press Releases 2023
Macmillan Cancer Support Presentation
On Wednesday, 20th September, Honiton Running Club members gathered together at the start of their 5k monthly handicap in Cotleigh, to present a cheque for £5,854 to representatives from Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity does an amazing job of supporting cancer patients as well as their families with all money raised locally staying local. This is a fabulous amount from just 2 HRC events; The Blackdown Beast held in January and the The Blackdown Beauty held more recently, in July. The Beast is the most popular of the two events with local runners and those from further afield totalling over 200. The Beast alone raised close to £4000. Both are social runs around the Blackdown hills with pasties and mulled cider served mid run by Smeatharpe WI and an amazing cream tea provided by the same group mid Beauty. Over 100 runners took part in the Beauty.
The presentation was extra special for HRC runners as it was the first time they were together as a group in their splendid new club kit. This was designed by members Lou and Johnny Bennett’s daughter Maicey. The club members are proud of their smart shirts and members are looking forward to wearing them for the club trip in Salisbury in a couple of weeks where over 50 HRC runners will be taking part in Race on the Chase.
City to Sea Marathon & Dartmoor in a Day
At 6.30 am on Sunday 3rd of September, two bus-loads of marathon runners set off from Babbacombe Downs to Exeter Quay for the start of the City to Sea Marathon, a Winding Paths event. The route followed the estuary, on flat, paved surfaces through Starcross, Dawlish to Teignmouth, then wiggled around the town and, finally, joined the SE Coast Path climbs from Shaldon to Babbacombe Downs. Honiton Running Club’s Jennie Sleeman was running well for the first 18 to 20 miles. Suddenly, the heat was ramped up, the shade disappeared and the climbs turned serious. Runners began to feel the effects, with one runner complaining that after all her training,she was disappointed to be forced to walk. With nausea and a headache, Jennie staggered up the hills and wobbled down the final descent to reach Babbacombe Downs and the finish in 87 th position (out of 175 finishers) in 06:19:33 as second FV65 (OK, there were only two!!)The winner was Edward Hillyer in 03:24:16 and the first Female was Hannah Dunn in 03:57:54. The final finishers (male and female) crossed the line in 10:15:25. The event included a Half Marathon, starting at Dawlish and walkers were encouraged to complete either distance. Runners received a huge medal and an enormous pasty at the finish. Marshalls at the four aid stations and along the route were superb, encouraging flagging runners and offering an array of cakes, crisps and liquids. Huge thanks go also to race director, Brian Lewis for a superbly organised event. Jennie will be back (preferably in cooler weather).
On Saturday the 9th of September one of Honiton Running Club members Paula Ferris embarked on Dartmoor in a Day which is a 50km Ultra Marathon challenge. What, was not in the training plan was the heat wave of 28 degrees, making this an extra tough race to tackle. With the temperatures rising quickly the 8.30am start was welcomed and 74 runners left Okehampton heading along the river and up onto the clear open moor. The route was self navigated with experienced runners and mountain leaders dotted across the course.
With clear views and climbs the first part of the course heads along the East Okement Valley and Hangingstone Hill towards Postbridge, this was a welcomed stop after 20km of running in the heat of the day. Refuelling and hydrating was the primary goal. At this point fellow club runner Nick Couch joined Paula for the middle section, lifting spirits and morale enjoying the change of scenery. Bellever Tor and West Dart Stepping Stones were a highlight. The last leg of the course and Paula was back running solo for the last 20km tackling Ryder’s Hill, Clapper Bridge, Dartmoor Volcano and the final stretch towards Ivybridge, with a view of the Erme Valley. Crossing the finish line in 7 hours 26 mins. Paula was the 4th lady out of 28 and 24th of 74 runners to finish.
This is one of the toughest challenges Paula has accomplished and could not have been done without the help and support of her husband, Adam and Nick with their support around the course. Especially on the last leg of the course where they helped 5 or 6 other runners who were struggling with no water reserves. The race was won by Steve Adams in a time of 4 hours 51 mins – outstanding. Thank you to Climb South West for an excellent well organised event.
Blackdown Beauty
On Saturday, 15th July Honiton Running Club ran its annual Blackdown Beauty with Hemyock Primary School as its venue for the first time. There were 2 different length routes as options with one of 10.8 miles and the longer route of 18 miles all along public footpaths. The shorter route took runners via Clayhidon before going on to a cream tea at Stapley before heading back to Hemyock. The longer route involved more ascents as it took runners to The Beacon and back down again before carrying on back up to Wellington Monument. Stunning views were prevalent from both sites. From The Monument runners went on to Clayhidon and rejoined the short route for the remainder of the run. Upon their return, runners were given the chance of a barbecue and a hot drink.
The weather was windy with showers but there were plenty of dry spells and it was warm which meant pretty perfect running conditions. It was a little muddy in places as it had rained constantly the day before. There were a few wrong turns made but these took runners off route for just a short distance and they were soon back on track. Runners were provided with a gpx map to follow, a paper map and written instructions were also available. Runners were looking out for white drawing pins used along the route to mark the way.
The highlight on the day for most was the amazing cream tea provided from Pear Tree Cottage, Stapley by the lovely ladies of the WI. This was made extra special by being served on bone china plates, cups and saucers rather than the paper ones runners are used to!
Over 100 runners took part and all money raised from the event will go to Macmillan Cancer Support as well as the money raised from the Blackdown Beast held earlier in the year.
Otter Rail and River Run
Several Honiton Running Club members did the popular Otter Rail and River run from Tipton St. John on Saturday. The weather was warm and muggy and the rain came towards the end of the race though some made it back before it started. The route goes out along the River Otter and then after a climb makes use of the old Ottery to Sidmouth disused railway track which is a nice downhill section. Finally a loop around some footpaths close to Tipton finish off the 10K route. The race was won by Tom Merson in 35:39 and Lucy Cartwright was first lady in 41:54. The Honiton runners were Mark Dallyn in 48:46, Esme Moffett close behind in 49:37, Jo Buxton in 50:38 after also running Seaton parkrun, Roger Saunders in 54:46, Steve Selley in 57:52, Kate Harding in 60:34, Sarah Ryerson in 66: 43 and Helen Williams in 76:42. This was a well organised event by the Tipton residents.
Forde Abbey 10k
On Wednesday evening, 29th July, four Honiton Running Club runners made the short trip over the Somerset border for the Forde Abbey 10k. The race is set in the Forde Abbey Estate with a very scenic route including hills, rocky tracks, and two river crossings near to the end which were very much appreciated on a hot evening. First back for HRC was Rachel Hennessey in 64th place in 1:02:05, Simon Bates finished in 84th place in 1:06:56, Martin Killick was 116th in 1:11:06, Rebecca Tydd completed the Honiton line up in 137th place in 1:16:37. The race was won by Ed Dickinson in a time of 42:32 and there were 170 finishers.
Umborne Ug
Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Umborne on Saturday, 24th June to take part in the Umborne Ug. This is a challenging and hilly 10k run and although the usual challenge of mud was not there, instead there was the problem of it being very hot and humid.
Tim Wigram is running brilliantly at the moment and came in first for Honiton in 36th place overall in 56 minutes, 11 seconds. Tim just pipped Mark Dallyn to cross the line with Mark coming in just 14 seconds later. Jo Buxton was the first HRC lady back coming 43rd in 58:44. She had overtaken Esme Moffett on the last downhill field and Esme crossed the line 8 seconds later. Esme won her age category taking home the prize of a hand painted mug. Judy Davey was next back coming 48th in 59:56 and Lizzie Lanning, who is only just old enough to run in this race, did very well to come 62nd in 1:04:01. Simon Bates completed the HRC line-up coming 68th in 1:05:59. There were 115 finishers and there was a barbecue, bar and cake stall on offer at the finish which was a great way to replenish and cool down hot runners. Thanks as always to Rick and Eleanor Wood for organising the race as well as all the marshals and landowners.
Taunton Trail Half Marathon & Ox Half Marathon
On Sunday, 28th May, Sam Phillips ran the Taunton Trail Half Marathon which started at Taunton Rugby Club and quickly took runners to the canal towards Taunton. The conditions were very hot but it was flat although still a very testing course. Sam finished in 1 hour 55 minutes in 43rd place. The race was won by Ryan Palethorpe in 1:23.
On Bank Holiday Monday 29th May, Rachel Hennessey and Pete Nichols took part in White Star Running's Ox Half Marathon at the Rushmoor Estate on the Dorset/Wiltshire border. The run included trails around the Wiltshire Chalk Downs and Cranborne Chase Woods with steep climbs and descents and over 1700 ft of elevation. The sections through the woods provided welcome shade on a very warm and sunny day.
Despite a fall in the woods, Pete finished in 17th place with a time of 1h57. Rachel managed to stay upright and finish in 49th place with a time of 2h21. The race was won by Matt Faramus in a time of 1h40 and there were 98 finishers.
UTS Ultra Trail Snowdonia 55k a UTMB World Series event & Hardy Half Marathon
On Sunday May the 14th 2 Honiton Running Club members Paula Ferris and Louise Bennett took part in the inaugural Hardy Half Marathon. running through landscape immortalised by the famous writer Thomas Hardy. The run took you on tour of this fantastic area of Dorset countryside. The course was 80% trail with some challenging terrain and around 1400 feet of elevation. The half way point was a loop around the monument dedicated to another famous Hardy, Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, a man made famous for being at the side of Nelson at the point of his untimely death on HMS Victory at the battle of Trafalgar. The return leg headed down into Hells Bottom, appropriately named!! The final climb was to the western side of Britain's largest Iron Age fort, Maiden Castle finishing back at the rugby club for well earned refreshments. The race was really well organised with marshals at key points cheering and willing you on with aid stations and band on route.The girls crossed the line together in 96th and 97th places from 257 runners with a finish time of 2 hours 13 mins. The race was won by Christopher Peck of Egdon Health Harriers in 1 hour 27.
Saturday 13th May, saw HRC member Gareth Henwood line up on the same start line with some of the World Elite runners to tackle the UTS Ultra Trail Snowdonia which is billed as "A feast of technical trails through mythical landscapes”. UTS is the UK's only UTMB World Series event - "Beautiful beyond belief. Savage beyond reason". It certainly lived up to its name starting and finishing at The Slate Museum in Llanberis with a race distance of 55k and over 3,300m (10,900ft) climb which included two summits of Snowdon and one each of Mynydd Mawr and Moel Eillio. The conditions were not ideal as it was sunny and hot with little to no wind but the views and scenery were amazing which made up for it.
Out of 1135 runners that started 875 finished and Gareth finished in a time of 11 hours 7 minutes in 420th place and was 20th out of 64 in his age category.
Ottery 10k
Sunday, 7th May saw the running of Honiton Running Club’s Ottery 10k. This is an undulating road race and the base is at Ottery Cricket Ground. The weather was perfect for runners; sunny and dry but not too hot.
The race was won by Oliver White in the amazing time of 33 minutes 58 seconds and the first lady was Serane Stone in the equally great time of 39:44. Although quite a number of HRC runners were involved with the organisation of the event, several still managed to run the race. For several HRC runners, this was their first race since graduating from the Couch to 5k course run by the Club’s Chair, Paula Ferris, earlier in the year. It was great to see they haven’t stopped at 5k but have gone on to complete twice that distance.
First back for HRC was Ceri Oak who came 45th overall, 5th lady and 1st in her age category. Tim Pepper had a brilliant run and finished next for HRC in 52nd place in 45:45. Steve Davey had tough competition in the form of his daughter, Jo Buxton. Steve managed to cross the line first in 67th place with Jo finishing just 1 second later.
Other HRC runners: 61st Esme Moffett 46:15, 73rd Mark Dallyn 47:29, 78th Emma Davey 48:26, 101st Richard Jarman 51:58, 103rd Mike Smith 52:04, 127th Gareth Lewis 55:01, 133rd Martin Killick 55:23, 135th Clare Melbourne 55:38, 136th Mark Newson 55:39, 141st Simon Bates 56:01, 152nd Andrew Duckitt 56:48, 153rd Claire Staniforth 56:50, 155th Kate Harding 57:26, 172nd Sarah Ryerson 58:57, 180th Steve George 1:02:04, 182nd Sarah Yates 1:02:12, 187th Sammy Chaffey 1:02, 59, 206th Tina Duckitt 1:09:40, 206th Chaimaa Dawkins 1:09:40, 216th Rachel Allen 1:15:14, 217th Helen Williams 1:15:16 and 225th Victoria Henwood 1:21:27. There were 291 finishers.
London Marathon, Sid Valley Ring and East Devon Round
London Marathon day saw several Honiton Running Club members tackle the 26.2 mile distance along flat London roads taking in many of the sights. Sherrie Hair came in first for HRC finishing in 3 hours 32 minutes. Steve and Judy Davey had started together and were still together at mile 9 when Steve gradually pulled away from her. Steve finished in 3:49 and Judy was pleased to get in just under the 4 hour mark in 3:58.
On Saturday 29th April, Nick Couch from the HRC took part in the Sid Valley Ring Half Marathon. Nick enjoyed the amazing views from the cliff tops, whilst bravely tackling the hills. He finished in a time of 1 hour 56 minutes to complete the well supported run.
On the same day, several brave HRC members took on one of the challenges of the very local, East Devon Round Ultra-Marathon. There were 4 events for the first time this year. Firstly, there was the full Ultra-Marathon which, as the name suggests, takes runners around most of East Devon. The route goes through many East Devon villages including Sidbury, Gittisham, Luppitt and Combe Raleigh, to mention just a few. The route also goes into Dorset passing through Lyme Regis. The base is at Offwell and many people camped out on the village playing field in order to make the 5.30am start. The weather was ideal with a cool start and, although it warmed up a little too much during the afternoon, it remained dry and suited most runners. The main Ultra is over 62 miles long and the main organiser of the event, Alasdair Moffett was 1st back for HRC. Although Alasdair had run the route many times during planning, this was his first time racing it. Anna Drake was the only HRC lady taking part in the whole run and she did amazingly well to finish in just under 15 ½ hours. She was 3rd lady overall. The 2nd event was the EDR Half which also started at Offwell but finished at Blackbury Camp. HRC’s Johnny Bennett was 3rd home overall finishing in the fantastic time of 6 hours 40 minutes. HRC’s Clare Melbourne also took part in this race and did fantastically well to finish in 8:25. The distance was a little more than half of the full event with runners recording 35 miles.
Rachel Hennessey and Rebecca Stevens took on the 3rd option of EDR – The Other Half. There were only 4 entrants as runners were only allowed to do it if they had taken part the East Devon Round Half in a previous year. They set off from Blackbury Camp at 2.30pm and went on to the finish at Offwell. This was about 31 miles in length but Rebecca insisted on doing a bit extra as she had left her phone at one of the check points and had to go back for it. Rebecca and Rachel ran together and finished in 7 hours 50 minutes.
The 4th option, and new for this year, was the EDR Quarter. This was about 14 miles in length and still a very challenging route. Lyn Pike and Helen Williams both thoroughly enjoyed the route taking in quite a bit of private land.
These were extremely well organised events supported by many marshals, land owners and friends of the main organisers; Alasdair and Esme Moffett and Tim Wigram.
Powderham Castle Power Run, London Landmarks Half Marathon & Exe to Axe
On Saturday, 1st April, three Honiton Running Club runners decided for once to forego a 5K Parkrun and do longer distances at the Powderham Castle Power Run. This was a lovely route with an initial steep climb up to a tower with great views followed by a long stretch through a forest. The finish was up under the drawbridge into the castle courtyard. There was a 5 mile race and a 10 mile race the latter being 2 loops of the 5 mile course. Mark Newson and Clare Melbourne both did the 5 mile course together and were 29 & 30 in a very respectable time of 48:08. The winner was Jason Hockridge in a time of 34:35. Roger Saunders opted for the longer 10 mile run to get Instep Championship points and finished in 76th place in a time of 1:40:57. The winner was Gwylym Gibson in a time of 1:05:04. A well organised race in great scenery.
On Sunday, 2nd April, Sam Phillips ran the London Landmarks half marathon in aid of Movember raising well over £800. Sam’s time goal was to get a sub 1 hour 45 minutes having trained with Honiton Running Club for nearly 6 months and managed to smash that and get a 1.38.56! A brilliant event Sam will definitely run next year, highly recommended to other runners!
On the same day, several HRC members took the shorter trip to Exmouth to take part in JP’s Exe to Axe which takes runners along the coast path from Exmouth to the furthest end of Seaton seafront. The distance is approximately 21 miles with nearly 4000 ft of climb. There were spectacular views to be had but there was also some serious mud following the wettest March for many years. First back for HRC was Steve Davey who finished 38th in 4 hours 13 minutes. Steve stopped for over 10 minutes to help an injured runner who had a huge thorn stuck in her foot having gone through her shoe. Once removed, ensuring the runner was alright, Steve continued on his way. Next back was Tim Wigram who ran over 10 miles the day before. He finished 56th in 4:29. Anna Drake had also run 21 miles the previous day. She ran the race with Gareth Henwood and Lou Bennett, all crossing the line in 61st position in 4:44. There were 119 finishers and the race was won by Matt Clist in the amazing time of 3:05.
Total Coastal Ultra and Half Marathon
On Saturday the 25th of March at 7.45am at Kingswear in Devon, 116 ultra marathon runners lined up for an epic challenge, these included Paula Ferris and Gareth Henwood from Honiton Running Club.
50km (32 miles) of scenic multi-terrain running with over 6,000 ft of ascent was what faced them. The instructions given were to follow the famous acorn symbol of the South West Coast Path and keep the sea on your right! Although the navigation seemed simple the terrain was far from it - brutal and demanding with steep climbs and tough descents, relentless steps, technical sections of tracks, woods and slippery sections after the heavy downpours. Both had trained hard and prepared for the event, running the whole course and crossing the finish line together at Shaldon in 70th and 71st place in a time of 8 hours 27 mins. The event was won by Andrew Lavender in a time of 5 hours 38 mins with the last runner over the line completing the event in 10 hours 19.
Vanessa Knowles and Debbie Vinnicombe also from Honiton Running Club completed the Half Marathon of the same event starting at Preston Green nr Paignton and finishing at Shaldon. The girls also ran the race together finishing in 4 hours 14mins. Well done to all 4 runners.
Hartridge Happiness Unofficial Back Yard Ultra
Inspired by Lazarus Lake and the recent Barkley Marathons, on Saturday 25th March, five Honiton Running Club members, plus 2 friends of the @EastDevonRound, took on the inaugural running of the local Luppitt based Hartridge Happiness unofficial Back Yard Ultra. Organised by the East Devon Round team this event involves running the same hilly (720 ft per lap) 4.17 mile course on the hour every hour for a maximum of 12 hours or until you get timed out. The rules are simple - either you are in the starting circle by the time the next hour starts - or you are eliminated and marked DNF (did not finish).
The route took runners from Luppitt village hall via as many footpaths as possible up to the Hartridge Common ridge (with its stunning views of Dumpdon Hill and Honiton), cutting down through Beacon before going back up an old green lane complete with stream, mud and rock back up to the base of Hartridge once more before ducking back to the village hall. It was as much a psychological challenge as a physical one, being ready to start the lap again after 5-15 mins at the hall depending on the speed you ran the previous lap.
Tim Wigram from Honiton completed 10 laps, 41.7 miles, 7200ft of hills, equivalent to running up Snowdonia twice, Alasdair Moffett 9 laps (37.5 miles, 6480ft of hills), Jake Heath 8 laps, Johnny Bennett 6 laps and Louise Bennett 2 laps (Lou and Johnny had to stop early because of other commitments). It was a magnificent effort by the Honiton running club team, in very low key surroundings and between the 5 of them completing a total of 146 miles and climbing a total of 25,200ft (Everest is 29,000 feet).
All the money raised by the event was donated to the local charity the Rich Wigram NZ Farming Scholarship (in memory of Tim's brother) - a charity which enables young people to experience dairy farming in New Zealand through a one year work placement enabling them to gain a wider understanding of their future career paths and opportunities in this global industry.
Granite Way
Sherrie Hair competed in the Granite Way 20 mile race on Sunday 12th March. It was tougher than expected with a fair amount of steady incline and 2 out and back laps along the Granite Way from Okehampton. Sherrie came 3rd lady in 2hrs 31mins. The race was won by Darren Rose from Newquay Road Runners in 2hrs 4mins.
Sheffield Half-marathon
On Sunday 26th March, in dry conditions with a slight breeze, HRC’s George Oldfield joined over 5,000 other runner on this lovely race. The start is a bit chaotic with the queue for the toilets and bag drop off nearly as long as the run, so long in fact, that George’s son carried his rucksack with their warm clothes around the course on his back. Runners start in the centre of Sheffield, with a gentle flat then downhill section for the first couple of miles, to warm you up and get you into the race, before turning and, apart from a couple of short flat sections, head up hill for three miles or so but the slopes were not too steep and very manageable for someone who is used to East Devon hills. Once at the top you were rewarded by a flat section, which is quiet and away from the crowds with great views over the countryside. After completing this part there was a long downhill run setting you up for a flat, all be it with a couple of small hills, sprint to the finish back in the city. There was loads of crowd support for a lot of the course and it is a race where you could, if you wished, get a great finish time. All in all a really nice race and enjoyable event.
Prosper Events 10k Trail Night Run
Two Honiton Club Runners attended "Prosper Events" 10km Trail night run on Friday 24th March starting from Taunton Rugby Club. This was the event organisers first night run and head torches were a must for this pretty much flat run taking in the Taunton canal. Race briefing advised of flooding on the course so a slight diversion meant that it was out and back but that didn't affect the atmosphere. Lou Bennett and Gareth Lewis have both suffered injuries from last year and went to the event with no agenda and just to enjoy the run. The little bit of rain at the start didn't put them off with Lou taking 17th place and 4th lady with a time of 47 minutes 16 seconds and Gareth not long behind her in 53th place with a time of 54:01. There were a total of 126 finishers with the race being won by Adam Fieldhouse and James Warren in a fantastic time of 35:55. A great venue to start and added bonus of coffee van and wood fired pizza if you wanted to treat yourself at the end. Another great event put on by the Prosper Team.
Couch 2 5km
On the 10th of January 2023 on a cold evening in Honiton, 30 potential runners met to start their 8 week Couch to 5km beginners’ course. Head Coach Paula Ferris with her team of leaders and helpers greeted the cohort with smiles and calming encouraging words to quash the nerves.
The C25km app was used and runners encouraged to run 2 x per week on their own. Each Monday another week would commence. This would enable the smooth transition from week to week improving fitness, endurance and stamina through run and recover timings. Each week a different run route would be chosen and take on a few hills and flatter sections offering variety and change. Communication through a WhatsApp group aided with motivation and encouragement with small groups meeting to complete weekly runs.
The finale was a 5km Park Run at Seaton on the 4th of March where all the graduates would complete there final run.A second date was also added for those who could not make the 4th and the 11th was other options.
The success of the course is the best yet with 23 /30 completing the C25km course. 76% course retention.
A huge thank you to all the leaders and helpers throughout the whole course. Each and every graduate has appreciated the input, advice and support.We are very much looking forward to welcoming some new runners and member to HRC very soon with pace groups appropriate to moving forward.
Report written by Paula Ferris.
Grizzly, Cub and Bideford Half Marathon
On Sunday, 5th 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, several sections of beach and the infamous Stairway to Heaven at the end of the beach stretch in Branscombe. This year the weather for runners was perfect; a little chilly but dry with very little wind. It hasn’t rained much over the last few weeks so this meant less mud than usual although the bogs were still very boggy and the mud seemed to be stickier!
First back for HRC was Alasdair Moffett who stormed back to come 99th in 2 hours 58 minutes. He was followed by Tom Bornet in 153rd place and 3:09. Tim Wigram absolutely flew round knocking several minutes off his previous personal best time. He came 258th in 3:25. Anna Drake is a relatively new HRC runner and she led the ladies home for Honiton coming 531st in 3:53. Rebecca Stevens, Gareth Henwood, Louise Bennett, Johnny Bennett, Paula Ferris and Hadleigh Davies all ran the race together finishing 708th in about 4:09. Nick Couch ran quite a bit of the race with the group before pulling away to finish 612th in exactly 4 hours.
Other Honiton runners were: 326 Pete Nicholls 3:32, 360 Steve Davey 3:35, 409 Step Boyes 3:41, 456 Jake Heath 3:46, 613 Sam Phillips 3:48, 771 Pippa Westall 4:16, 772 Rachel Hennessey 4:16, 790 Lisa Briggs 4:19, 1001 Richard Harris 4:39, 1099 Simon Bates 4:54, 1284 George Oldfield 5:41 and 1289 Kathy Layzell 5:43.
The race was won by Samuel Kelly in the amazing time of 2:14 and there were 1294 finishers.
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.
HRC’s Ceri Oak was 3rd lady overall coming 30th overall in 1:23. Mark Newson ran with Clare Melbourne who had a great run both finishing 85th in 1:33. Asilah Jarrald, Luke Holway and Richard Kemp all ran together finishing 514th in 2:16.
Other HRC runners: 117 Russell Kingdon 1:35, 142 Emma Davey 1:39, 152 Roger Saunders 1:41, 157 Linda Grady 1:43, 225 Kate Harding 1:47, 311 Teresa Pollard 1:56, 425 Debbie Vinnicombe 2:06, 485 Katy Lancaster 2:12, 552 Rachel Welch 2:25, 553 Helen Williams 2:25 and 555 Vicki Henwood 2:26
The race was won by Ritchie Durrant in 1:02 and there were 621 runners.
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.
Meanwhile Jennie Sleeman fancied a change and took part in the Bideford Half Marathon which is a relatively flat course coming back along theTarka Trail. Jennie came 1st in her age category in a time of 1:52 and 444th position overall. The race was won by Ronnie Richmond in 1:05 and there were 859 finishers.
Blackdown Beast
A record 240 runners came from all over the country to take part Honiton Running Club’s Blackdown Beast. 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. The weather was perfect for running; a little chilly but dry with no wind. 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 delicious warm pasty and steaming hot mulled cider 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 provided 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. They then ran the next leg of 3.3 miles to Luppitt Village Hall and another refreshment stop. The last 2.7 mile leg of the day took runners on muddy fields and quiet country lanes back to Dunkeswell Airport 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 £3000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Relief.
Axmouth Challenge & First Chance 10k
On Sunday, 8th January, several Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Axmouth to take part in this year’s Axmouth Challenge. This multi-terrain race is actually mainly on road but the parts that are off road were particularly muddy this year following some very wet weather. The weather wasn’t particularly kind to runners on the day with plenty of rain and even some thunder.
There are 4 distances on offer with HRC runners either deciding to tackle the 9 mile or 5 mile option. First back for HRC in the 9 mile race was Nick Couch who came 22nd overall in 1 hour 17 minutes and 12 seconds. Ceri Oak led the HRC ladies back winning a medal for coming 2nd in the ladies’ vet category. She came 24th in 1:17:14 and had Howard Bidmead hot on her heels just 6 seconds later. Steve Davey came 33rd in 1:20:16 just beating Will Davis to the line who came in 11 seconds later. Mark Dallyn followed coming 36th in 1:22:50 beating Rebecca Stevens by 13 seconds. Judy Davey and Rebecca had been together for much of the race and Judy finished 40th in 1:23:49. Paula Ferris finished 45th in 1:29:06 and Linda Grady completed the HRC line-up coming 58th in 1:34:04. There were 68 finishers and the race was won by Richard Hardy in 59:34.
Following a lengthy spell of injury, Lou Bennett decided to come back running the 5 mile option. She ran with husband, Johnny, and finished extremely well to come 2nd lady overall in 5th and 6th position in 39:20. Gareth Henwood followed coming 11th in 54:31.Kate Harding came just ahead of George Oldfield in 15th position in 1:00:43 with George coming in just 2 seconds later. Ella Churchill, Richard Kemp, Asilah Jarrald and Luke Holway all ran together coming 26th in 1:05:48. There were 33 finishers and the winner was Jake Hodgetts in 34:57.
Upon their return to the headquarters, runners were treated to delicious warming soup and delicious cake. Thanks to Axe Valley Runners and to all the organisers and marshals for putting on a fantastic event.
Meanwhile Roger Saunders chose the much flatter option of running the First Chance 10K along the river Exe. Luckily the heavy showers held off during the race which this year had over 500 runners. Roger ran it in a time of 51:53 which he was happy with being faster than last year. After the race George Pemberton was awarded the winner of the male under 20 category in the 2022 Instep Devon championship.
On Wednesday, 20th September, Honiton Running Club members gathered together at the start of their 5k monthly handicap in Cotleigh, to present a cheque for £5,854 to representatives from Macmillan Cancer Support. The charity does an amazing job of supporting cancer patients as well as their families with all money raised locally staying local. This is a fabulous amount from just 2 HRC events; The Blackdown Beast held in January and the The Blackdown Beauty held more recently, in July. The Beast is the most popular of the two events with local runners and those from further afield totalling over 200. The Beast alone raised close to £4000. Both are social runs around the Blackdown hills with pasties and mulled cider served mid run by Smeatharpe WI and an amazing cream tea provided by the same group mid Beauty. Over 100 runners took part in the Beauty.
The presentation was extra special for HRC runners as it was the first time they were together as a group in their splendid new club kit. This was designed by members Lou and Johnny Bennett’s daughter Maicey. The club members are proud of their smart shirts and members are looking forward to wearing them for the club trip in Salisbury in a couple of weeks where over 50 HRC runners will be taking part in Race on the Chase.
City to Sea Marathon & Dartmoor in a Day
At 6.30 am on Sunday 3rd of September, two bus-loads of marathon runners set off from Babbacombe Downs to Exeter Quay for the start of the City to Sea Marathon, a Winding Paths event. The route followed the estuary, on flat, paved surfaces through Starcross, Dawlish to Teignmouth, then wiggled around the town and, finally, joined the SE Coast Path climbs from Shaldon to Babbacombe Downs. Honiton Running Club’s Jennie Sleeman was running well for the first 18 to 20 miles. Suddenly, the heat was ramped up, the shade disappeared and the climbs turned serious. Runners began to feel the effects, with one runner complaining that after all her training,she was disappointed to be forced to walk. With nausea and a headache, Jennie staggered up the hills and wobbled down the final descent to reach Babbacombe Downs and the finish in 87 th position (out of 175 finishers) in 06:19:33 as second FV65 (OK, there were only two!!)The winner was Edward Hillyer in 03:24:16 and the first Female was Hannah Dunn in 03:57:54. The final finishers (male and female) crossed the line in 10:15:25. The event included a Half Marathon, starting at Dawlish and walkers were encouraged to complete either distance. Runners received a huge medal and an enormous pasty at the finish. Marshalls at the four aid stations and along the route were superb, encouraging flagging runners and offering an array of cakes, crisps and liquids. Huge thanks go also to race director, Brian Lewis for a superbly organised event. Jennie will be back (preferably in cooler weather).
On Saturday the 9th of September one of Honiton Running Club members Paula Ferris embarked on Dartmoor in a Day which is a 50km Ultra Marathon challenge. What, was not in the training plan was the heat wave of 28 degrees, making this an extra tough race to tackle. With the temperatures rising quickly the 8.30am start was welcomed and 74 runners left Okehampton heading along the river and up onto the clear open moor. The route was self navigated with experienced runners and mountain leaders dotted across the course.
With clear views and climbs the first part of the course heads along the East Okement Valley and Hangingstone Hill towards Postbridge, this was a welcomed stop after 20km of running in the heat of the day. Refuelling and hydrating was the primary goal. At this point fellow club runner Nick Couch joined Paula for the middle section, lifting spirits and morale enjoying the change of scenery. Bellever Tor and West Dart Stepping Stones were a highlight. The last leg of the course and Paula was back running solo for the last 20km tackling Ryder’s Hill, Clapper Bridge, Dartmoor Volcano and the final stretch towards Ivybridge, with a view of the Erme Valley. Crossing the finish line in 7 hours 26 mins. Paula was the 4th lady out of 28 and 24th of 74 runners to finish.
This is one of the toughest challenges Paula has accomplished and could not have been done without the help and support of her husband, Adam and Nick with their support around the course. Especially on the last leg of the course where they helped 5 or 6 other runners who were struggling with no water reserves. The race was won by Steve Adams in a time of 4 hours 51 mins – outstanding. Thank you to Climb South West for an excellent well organised event.
Blackdown Beauty
On Saturday, 15th July Honiton Running Club ran its annual Blackdown Beauty with Hemyock Primary School as its venue for the first time. There were 2 different length routes as options with one of 10.8 miles and the longer route of 18 miles all along public footpaths. The shorter route took runners via Clayhidon before going on to a cream tea at Stapley before heading back to Hemyock. The longer route involved more ascents as it took runners to The Beacon and back down again before carrying on back up to Wellington Monument. Stunning views were prevalent from both sites. From The Monument runners went on to Clayhidon and rejoined the short route for the remainder of the run. Upon their return, runners were given the chance of a barbecue and a hot drink.
The weather was windy with showers but there were plenty of dry spells and it was warm which meant pretty perfect running conditions. It was a little muddy in places as it had rained constantly the day before. There were a few wrong turns made but these took runners off route for just a short distance and they were soon back on track. Runners were provided with a gpx map to follow, a paper map and written instructions were also available. Runners were looking out for white drawing pins used along the route to mark the way.
The highlight on the day for most was the amazing cream tea provided from Pear Tree Cottage, Stapley by the lovely ladies of the WI. This was made extra special by being served on bone china plates, cups and saucers rather than the paper ones runners are used to!
Over 100 runners took part and all money raised from the event will go to Macmillan Cancer Support as well as the money raised from the Blackdown Beast held earlier in the year.
Otter Rail and River Run
Several Honiton Running Club members did the popular Otter Rail and River run from Tipton St. John on Saturday. The weather was warm and muggy and the rain came towards the end of the race though some made it back before it started. The route goes out along the River Otter and then after a climb makes use of the old Ottery to Sidmouth disused railway track which is a nice downhill section. Finally a loop around some footpaths close to Tipton finish off the 10K route. The race was won by Tom Merson in 35:39 and Lucy Cartwright was first lady in 41:54. The Honiton runners were Mark Dallyn in 48:46, Esme Moffett close behind in 49:37, Jo Buxton in 50:38 after also running Seaton parkrun, Roger Saunders in 54:46, Steve Selley in 57:52, Kate Harding in 60:34, Sarah Ryerson in 66: 43 and Helen Williams in 76:42. This was a well organised event by the Tipton residents.
Forde Abbey 10k
On Wednesday evening, 29th July, four Honiton Running Club runners made the short trip over the Somerset border for the Forde Abbey 10k. The race is set in the Forde Abbey Estate with a very scenic route including hills, rocky tracks, and two river crossings near to the end which were very much appreciated on a hot evening. First back for HRC was Rachel Hennessey in 64th place in 1:02:05, Simon Bates finished in 84th place in 1:06:56, Martin Killick was 116th in 1:11:06, Rebecca Tydd completed the Honiton line up in 137th place in 1:16:37. The race was won by Ed Dickinson in a time of 42:32 and there were 170 finishers.
Umborne Ug
Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Umborne on Saturday, 24th June to take part in the Umborne Ug. This is a challenging and hilly 10k run and although the usual challenge of mud was not there, instead there was the problem of it being very hot and humid.
Tim Wigram is running brilliantly at the moment and came in first for Honiton in 36th place overall in 56 minutes, 11 seconds. Tim just pipped Mark Dallyn to cross the line with Mark coming in just 14 seconds later. Jo Buxton was the first HRC lady back coming 43rd in 58:44. She had overtaken Esme Moffett on the last downhill field and Esme crossed the line 8 seconds later. Esme won her age category taking home the prize of a hand painted mug. Judy Davey was next back coming 48th in 59:56 and Lizzie Lanning, who is only just old enough to run in this race, did very well to come 62nd in 1:04:01. Simon Bates completed the HRC line-up coming 68th in 1:05:59. There were 115 finishers and there was a barbecue, bar and cake stall on offer at the finish which was a great way to replenish and cool down hot runners. Thanks as always to Rick and Eleanor Wood for organising the race as well as all the marshals and landowners.
Taunton Trail Half Marathon & Ox Half Marathon
On Sunday, 28th May, Sam Phillips ran the Taunton Trail Half Marathon which started at Taunton Rugby Club and quickly took runners to the canal towards Taunton. The conditions were very hot but it was flat although still a very testing course. Sam finished in 1 hour 55 minutes in 43rd place. The race was won by Ryan Palethorpe in 1:23.
On Bank Holiday Monday 29th May, Rachel Hennessey and Pete Nichols took part in White Star Running's Ox Half Marathon at the Rushmoor Estate on the Dorset/Wiltshire border. The run included trails around the Wiltshire Chalk Downs and Cranborne Chase Woods with steep climbs and descents and over 1700 ft of elevation. The sections through the woods provided welcome shade on a very warm and sunny day.
Despite a fall in the woods, Pete finished in 17th place with a time of 1h57. Rachel managed to stay upright and finish in 49th place with a time of 2h21. The race was won by Matt Faramus in a time of 1h40 and there were 98 finishers.
UTS Ultra Trail Snowdonia 55k a UTMB World Series event & Hardy Half Marathon
On Sunday May the 14th 2 Honiton Running Club members Paula Ferris and Louise Bennett took part in the inaugural Hardy Half Marathon. running through landscape immortalised by the famous writer Thomas Hardy. The run took you on tour of this fantastic area of Dorset countryside. The course was 80% trail with some challenging terrain and around 1400 feet of elevation. The half way point was a loop around the monument dedicated to another famous Hardy, Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, a man made famous for being at the side of Nelson at the point of his untimely death on HMS Victory at the battle of Trafalgar. The return leg headed down into Hells Bottom, appropriately named!! The final climb was to the western side of Britain's largest Iron Age fort, Maiden Castle finishing back at the rugby club for well earned refreshments. The race was really well organised with marshals at key points cheering and willing you on with aid stations and band on route.The girls crossed the line together in 96th and 97th places from 257 runners with a finish time of 2 hours 13 mins. The race was won by Christopher Peck of Egdon Health Harriers in 1 hour 27.
Saturday 13th May, saw HRC member Gareth Henwood line up on the same start line with some of the World Elite runners to tackle the UTS Ultra Trail Snowdonia which is billed as "A feast of technical trails through mythical landscapes”. UTS is the UK's only UTMB World Series event - "Beautiful beyond belief. Savage beyond reason". It certainly lived up to its name starting and finishing at The Slate Museum in Llanberis with a race distance of 55k and over 3,300m (10,900ft) climb which included two summits of Snowdon and one each of Mynydd Mawr and Moel Eillio. The conditions were not ideal as it was sunny and hot with little to no wind but the views and scenery were amazing which made up for it.
Out of 1135 runners that started 875 finished and Gareth finished in a time of 11 hours 7 minutes in 420th place and was 20th out of 64 in his age category.
Ottery 10k
Sunday, 7th May saw the running of Honiton Running Club’s Ottery 10k. This is an undulating road race and the base is at Ottery Cricket Ground. The weather was perfect for runners; sunny and dry but not too hot.
The race was won by Oliver White in the amazing time of 33 minutes 58 seconds and the first lady was Serane Stone in the equally great time of 39:44. Although quite a number of HRC runners were involved with the organisation of the event, several still managed to run the race. For several HRC runners, this was their first race since graduating from the Couch to 5k course run by the Club’s Chair, Paula Ferris, earlier in the year. It was great to see they haven’t stopped at 5k but have gone on to complete twice that distance.
First back for HRC was Ceri Oak who came 45th overall, 5th lady and 1st in her age category. Tim Pepper had a brilliant run and finished next for HRC in 52nd place in 45:45. Steve Davey had tough competition in the form of his daughter, Jo Buxton. Steve managed to cross the line first in 67th place with Jo finishing just 1 second later.
Other HRC runners: 61st Esme Moffett 46:15, 73rd Mark Dallyn 47:29, 78th Emma Davey 48:26, 101st Richard Jarman 51:58, 103rd Mike Smith 52:04, 127th Gareth Lewis 55:01, 133rd Martin Killick 55:23, 135th Clare Melbourne 55:38, 136th Mark Newson 55:39, 141st Simon Bates 56:01, 152nd Andrew Duckitt 56:48, 153rd Claire Staniforth 56:50, 155th Kate Harding 57:26, 172nd Sarah Ryerson 58:57, 180th Steve George 1:02:04, 182nd Sarah Yates 1:02:12, 187th Sammy Chaffey 1:02, 59, 206th Tina Duckitt 1:09:40, 206th Chaimaa Dawkins 1:09:40, 216th Rachel Allen 1:15:14, 217th Helen Williams 1:15:16 and 225th Victoria Henwood 1:21:27. There were 291 finishers.
London Marathon, Sid Valley Ring and East Devon Round
London Marathon day saw several Honiton Running Club members tackle the 26.2 mile distance along flat London roads taking in many of the sights. Sherrie Hair came in first for HRC finishing in 3 hours 32 minutes. Steve and Judy Davey had started together and were still together at mile 9 when Steve gradually pulled away from her. Steve finished in 3:49 and Judy was pleased to get in just under the 4 hour mark in 3:58.
On Saturday 29th April, Nick Couch from the HRC took part in the Sid Valley Ring Half Marathon. Nick enjoyed the amazing views from the cliff tops, whilst bravely tackling the hills. He finished in a time of 1 hour 56 minutes to complete the well supported run.
On the same day, several brave HRC members took on one of the challenges of the very local, East Devon Round Ultra-Marathon. There were 4 events for the first time this year. Firstly, there was the full Ultra-Marathon which, as the name suggests, takes runners around most of East Devon. The route goes through many East Devon villages including Sidbury, Gittisham, Luppitt and Combe Raleigh, to mention just a few. The route also goes into Dorset passing through Lyme Regis. The base is at Offwell and many people camped out on the village playing field in order to make the 5.30am start. The weather was ideal with a cool start and, although it warmed up a little too much during the afternoon, it remained dry and suited most runners. The main Ultra is over 62 miles long and the main organiser of the event, Alasdair Moffett was 1st back for HRC. Although Alasdair had run the route many times during planning, this was his first time racing it. Anna Drake was the only HRC lady taking part in the whole run and she did amazingly well to finish in just under 15 ½ hours. She was 3rd lady overall. The 2nd event was the EDR Half which also started at Offwell but finished at Blackbury Camp. HRC’s Johnny Bennett was 3rd home overall finishing in the fantastic time of 6 hours 40 minutes. HRC’s Clare Melbourne also took part in this race and did fantastically well to finish in 8:25. The distance was a little more than half of the full event with runners recording 35 miles.
Rachel Hennessey and Rebecca Stevens took on the 3rd option of EDR – The Other Half. There were only 4 entrants as runners were only allowed to do it if they had taken part the East Devon Round Half in a previous year. They set off from Blackbury Camp at 2.30pm and went on to the finish at Offwell. This was about 31 miles in length but Rebecca insisted on doing a bit extra as she had left her phone at one of the check points and had to go back for it. Rebecca and Rachel ran together and finished in 7 hours 50 minutes.
The 4th option, and new for this year, was the EDR Quarter. This was about 14 miles in length and still a very challenging route. Lyn Pike and Helen Williams both thoroughly enjoyed the route taking in quite a bit of private land.
These were extremely well organised events supported by many marshals, land owners and friends of the main organisers; Alasdair and Esme Moffett and Tim Wigram.
Powderham Castle Power Run, London Landmarks Half Marathon & Exe to Axe
On Saturday, 1st April, three Honiton Running Club runners decided for once to forego a 5K Parkrun and do longer distances at the Powderham Castle Power Run. This was a lovely route with an initial steep climb up to a tower with great views followed by a long stretch through a forest. The finish was up under the drawbridge into the castle courtyard. There was a 5 mile race and a 10 mile race the latter being 2 loops of the 5 mile course. Mark Newson and Clare Melbourne both did the 5 mile course together and were 29 & 30 in a very respectable time of 48:08. The winner was Jason Hockridge in a time of 34:35. Roger Saunders opted for the longer 10 mile run to get Instep Championship points and finished in 76th place in a time of 1:40:57. The winner was Gwylym Gibson in a time of 1:05:04. A well organised race in great scenery.
On Sunday, 2nd April, Sam Phillips ran the London Landmarks half marathon in aid of Movember raising well over £800. Sam’s time goal was to get a sub 1 hour 45 minutes having trained with Honiton Running Club for nearly 6 months and managed to smash that and get a 1.38.56! A brilliant event Sam will definitely run next year, highly recommended to other runners!
On the same day, several HRC members took the shorter trip to Exmouth to take part in JP’s Exe to Axe which takes runners along the coast path from Exmouth to the furthest end of Seaton seafront. The distance is approximately 21 miles with nearly 4000 ft of climb. There were spectacular views to be had but there was also some serious mud following the wettest March for many years. First back for HRC was Steve Davey who finished 38th in 4 hours 13 minutes. Steve stopped for over 10 minutes to help an injured runner who had a huge thorn stuck in her foot having gone through her shoe. Once removed, ensuring the runner was alright, Steve continued on his way. Next back was Tim Wigram who ran over 10 miles the day before. He finished 56th in 4:29. Anna Drake had also run 21 miles the previous day. She ran the race with Gareth Henwood and Lou Bennett, all crossing the line in 61st position in 4:44. There were 119 finishers and the race was won by Matt Clist in the amazing time of 3:05.
Total Coastal Ultra and Half Marathon
On Saturday the 25th of March at 7.45am at Kingswear in Devon, 116 ultra marathon runners lined up for an epic challenge, these included Paula Ferris and Gareth Henwood from Honiton Running Club.
50km (32 miles) of scenic multi-terrain running with over 6,000 ft of ascent was what faced them. The instructions given were to follow the famous acorn symbol of the South West Coast Path and keep the sea on your right! Although the navigation seemed simple the terrain was far from it - brutal and demanding with steep climbs and tough descents, relentless steps, technical sections of tracks, woods and slippery sections after the heavy downpours. Both had trained hard and prepared for the event, running the whole course and crossing the finish line together at Shaldon in 70th and 71st place in a time of 8 hours 27 mins. The event was won by Andrew Lavender in a time of 5 hours 38 mins with the last runner over the line completing the event in 10 hours 19.
Vanessa Knowles and Debbie Vinnicombe also from Honiton Running Club completed the Half Marathon of the same event starting at Preston Green nr Paignton and finishing at Shaldon. The girls also ran the race together finishing in 4 hours 14mins. Well done to all 4 runners.
Hartridge Happiness Unofficial Back Yard Ultra
Inspired by Lazarus Lake and the recent Barkley Marathons, on Saturday 25th March, five Honiton Running Club members, plus 2 friends of the @EastDevonRound, took on the inaugural running of the local Luppitt based Hartridge Happiness unofficial Back Yard Ultra. Organised by the East Devon Round team this event involves running the same hilly (720 ft per lap) 4.17 mile course on the hour every hour for a maximum of 12 hours or until you get timed out. The rules are simple - either you are in the starting circle by the time the next hour starts - or you are eliminated and marked DNF (did not finish).
The route took runners from Luppitt village hall via as many footpaths as possible up to the Hartridge Common ridge (with its stunning views of Dumpdon Hill and Honiton), cutting down through Beacon before going back up an old green lane complete with stream, mud and rock back up to the base of Hartridge once more before ducking back to the village hall. It was as much a psychological challenge as a physical one, being ready to start the lap again after 5-15 mins at the hall depending on the speed you ran the previous lap.
Tim Wigram from Honiton completed 10 laps, 41.7 miles, 7200ft of hills, equivalent to running up Snowdonia twice, Alasdair Moffett 9 laps (37.5 miles, 6480ft of hills), Jake Heath 8 laps, Johnny Bennett 6 laps and Louise Bennett 2 laps (Lou and Johnny had to stop early because of other commitments). It was a magnificent effort by the Honiton running club team, in very low key surroundings and between the 5 of them completing a total of 146 miles and climbing a total of 25,200ft (Everest is 29,000 feet).
All the money raised by the event was donated to the local charity the Rich Wigram NZ Farming Scholarship (in memory of Tim's brother) - a charity which enables young people to experience dairy farming in New Zealand through a one year work placement enabling them to gain a wider understanding of their future career paths and opportunities in this global industry.
Granite Way
Sherrie Hair competed in the Granite Way 20 mile race on Sunday 12th March. It was tougher than expected with a fair amount of steady incline and 2 out and back laps along the Granite Way from Okehampton. Sherrie came 3rd lady in 2hrs 31mins. The race was won by Darren Rose from Newquay Road Runners in 2hrs 4mins.
Sheffield Half-marathon
On Sunday 26th March, in dry conditions with a slight breeze, HRC’s George Oldfield joined over 5,000 other runner on this lovely race. The start is a bit chaotic with the queue for the toilets and bag drop off nearly as long as the run, so long in fact, that George’s son carried his rucksack with their warm clothes around the course on his back. Runners start in the centre of Sheffield, with a gentle flat then downhill section for the first couple of miles, to warm you up and get you into the race, before turning and, apart from a couple of short flat sections, head up hill for three miles or so but the slopes were not too steep and very manageable for someone who is used to East Devon hills. Once at the top you were rewarded by a flat section, which is quiet and away from the crowds with great views over the countryside. After completing this part there was a long downhill run setting you up for a flat, all be it with a couple of small hills, sprint to the finish back in the city. There was loads of crowd support for a lot of the course and it is a race where you could, if you wished, get a great finish time. All in all a really nice race and enjoyable event.
Prosper Events 10k Trail Night Run
Two Honiton Club Runners attended "Prosper Events" 10km Trail night run on Friday 24th March starting from Taunton Rugby Club. This was the event organisers first night run and head torches were a must for this pretty much flat run taking in the Taunton canal. Race briefing advised of flooding on the course so a slight diversion meant that it was out and back but that didn't affect the atmosphere. Lou Bennett and Gareth Lewis have both suffered injuries from last year and went to the event with no agenda and just to enjoy the run. The little bit of rain at the start didn't put them off with Lou taking 17th place and 4th lady with a time of 47 minutes 16 seconds and Gareth not long behind her in 53th place with a time of 54:01. There were a total of 126 finishers with the race being won by Adam Fieldhouse and James Warren in a fantastic time of 35:55. A great venue to start and added bonus of coffee van and wood fired pizza if you wanted to treat yourself at the end. Another great event put on by the Prosper Team.
Couch 2 5km
On the 10th of January 2023 on a cold evening in Honiton, 30 potential runners met to start their 8 week Couch to 5km beginners’ course. Head Coach Paula Ferris with her team of leaders and helpers greeted the cohort with smiles and calming encouraging words to quash the nerves.
The C25km app was used and runners encouraged to run 2 x per week on their own. Each Monday another week would commence. This would enable the smooth transition from week to week improving fitness, endurance and stamina through run and recover timings. Each week a different run route would be chosen and take on a few hills and flatter sections offering variety and change. Communication through a WhatsApp group aided with motivation and encouragement with small groups meeting to complete weekly runs.
The finale was a 5km Park Run at Seaton on the 4th of March where all the graduates would complete there final run.A second date was also added for those who could not make the 4th and the 11th was other options.
The success of the course is the best yet with 23 /30 completing the C25km course. 76% course retention.
A huge thank you to all the leaders and helpers throughout the whole course. Each and every graduate has appreciated the input, advice and support.We are very much looking forward to welcoming some new runners and member to HRC very soon with pace groups appropriate to moving forward.
Report written by Paula Ferris.
Grizzly, Cub and Bideford Half Marathon
On Sunday, 5th 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, several sections of beach and the infamous Stairway to Heaven at the end of the beach stretch in Branscombe. This year the weather for runners was perfect; a little chilly but dry with very little wind. It hasn’t rained much over the last few weeks so this meant less mud than usual although the bogs were still very boggy and the mud seemed to be stickier!
First back for HRC was Alasdair Moffett who stormed back to come 99th in 2 hours 58 minutes. He was followed by Tom Bornet in 153rd place and 3:09. Tim Wigram absolutely flew round knocking several minutes off his previous personal best time. He came 258th in 3:25. Anna Drake is a relatively new HRC runner and she led the ladies home for Honiton coming 531st in 3:53. Rebecca Stevens, Gareth Henwood, Louise Bennett, Johnny Bennett, Paula Ferris and Hadleigh Davies all ran the race together finishing 708th in about 4:09. Nick Couch ran quite a bit of the race with the group before pulling away to finish 612th in exactly 4 hours.
Other Honiton runners were: 326 Pete Nicholls 3:32, 360 Steve Davey 3:35, 409 Step Boyes 3:41, 456 Jake Heath 3:46, 613 Sam Phillips 3:48, 771 Pippa Westall 4:16, 772 Rachel Hennessey 4:16, 790 Lisa Briggs 4:19, 1001 Richard Harris 4:39, 1099 Simon Bates 4:54, 1284 George Oldfield 5:41 and 1289 Kathy Layzell 5:43.
The race was won by Samuel Kelly in the amazing time of 2:14 and there were 1294 finishers.
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.
HRC’s Ceri Oak was 3rd lady overall coming 30th overall in 1:23. Mark Newson ran with Clare Melbourne who had a great run both finishing 85th in 1:33. Asilah Jarrald, Luke Holway and Richard Kemp all ran together finishing 514th in 2:16.
Other HRC runners: 117 Russell Kingdon 1:35, 142 Emma Davey 1:39, 152 Roger Saunders 1:41, 157 Linda Grady 1:43, 225 Kate Harding 1:47, 311 Teresa Pollard 1:56, 425 Debbie Vinnicombe 2:06, 485 Katy Lancaster 2:12, 552 Rachel Welch 2:25, 553 Helen Williams 2:25 and 555 Vicki Henwood 2:26
The race was won by Ritchie Durrant in 1:02 and there were 621 runners.
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.
Meanwhile Jennie Sleeman fancied a change and took part in the Bideford Half Marathon which is a relatively flat course coming back along theTarka Trail. Jennie came 1st in her age category in a time of 1:52 and 444th position overall. The race was won by Ronnie Richmond in 1:05 and there were 859 finishers.
Blackdown Beast
A record 240 runners came from all over the country to take part Honiton Running Club’s Blackdown Beast. 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. The weather was perfect for running; a little chilly but dry with no wind. 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 delicious warm pasty and steaming hot mulled cider 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 provided 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. They then ran the next leg of 3.3 miles to Luppitt Village Hall and another refreshment stop. The last 2.7 mile leg of the day took runners on muddy fields and quiet country lanes back to Dunkeswell Airport 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 £3000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Relief.
Axmouth Challenge & First Chance 10k
On Sunday, 8th January, several Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Axmouth to take part in this year’s Axmouth Challenge. This multi-terrain race is actually mainly on road but the parts that are off road were particularly muddy this year following some very wet weather. The weather wasn’t particularly kind to runners on the day with plenty of rain and even some thunder.
There are 4 distances on offer with HRC runners either deciding to tackle the 9 mile or 5 mile option. First back for HRC in the 9 mile race was Nick Couch who came 22nd overall in 1 hour 17 minutes and 12 seconds. Ceri Oak led the HRC ladies back winning a medal for coming 2nd in the ladies’ vet category. She came 24th in 1:17:14 and had Howard Bidmead hot on her heels just 6 seconds later. Steve Davey came 33rd in 1:20:16 just beating Will Davis to the line who came in 11 seconds later. Mark Dallyn followed coming 36th in 1:22:50 beating Rebecca Stevens by 13 seconds. Judy Davey and Rebecca had been together for much of the race and Judy finished 40th in 1:23:49. Paula Ferris finished 45th in 1:29:06 and Linda Grady completed the HRC line-up coming 58th in 1:34:04. There were 68 finishers and the race was won by Richard Hardy in 59:34.
Following a lengthy spell of injury, Lou Bennett decided to come back running the 5 mile option. She ran with husband, Johnny, and finished extremely well to come 2nd lady overall in 5th and 6th position in 39:20. Gareth Henwood followed coming 11th in 54:31.Kate Harding came just ahead of George Oldfield in 15th position in 1:00:43 with George coming in just 2 seconds later. Ella Churchill, Richard Kemp, Asilah Jarrald and Luke Holway all ran together coming 26th in 1:05:48. There were 33 finishers and the winner was Jake Hodgetts in 34:57.
Upon their return to the headquarters, runners were treated to delicious warming soup and delicious cake. Thanks to Axe Valley Runners and to all the organisers and marshals for putting on a fantastic event.
Meanwhile Roger Saunders chose the much flatter option of running the First Chance 10K along the river Exe. Luckily the heavy showers held off during the race which this year had over 500 runners. Roger ran it in a time of 51:53 which he was happy with being faster than last year. After the race George Pemberton was awarded the winner of the male under 20 category in the 2022 Instep Devon championship.