A very wet and windy Saturday morning did not prevent a good turnout for the 10K Reindeer Run at Otterton. Runners dressed in all manner of festive costumes took part together with a good crowd of youngster doing the fun run. The rain eased off but the wind was so strong at one point on the cliffs that even going downhill proved difficult. The tracks were awash with puddles and the the runners sank to their ankles in the muddy fields, but a good time was had by all. The mulled wine and mince pies at the finish soon revived any tired legs. The 14 Honiton runners were led home by Guy Paddon but not far behind Steve Davey and Bruce Strawbridge had a ding-dong battle for the line. John Burgess was trying to hold off Nick Thorpe and succeeded for most of the way, but at the 9K mark Nick took his chance to go passed. However, John stuck with him and was only a stride behind at the line.

Pos  Time        Name
18     00:46:31  PADDON, Guy
26     00:47:05  DAVEY, Steve
27     00:47:05  STRAWBRIDGE, Bruce
50     00:50:34  THORPE, Nick
51     00:50:34  BURGESS, John
57     00:52:12  OAK, Warren
95     00:59:44  WHITELEY, Tony
96     01:00:05  SLEEMAN, Jennie
127   01:07:00  THORPE, Sandra
134   01:08:59  GLYN JONES, Vanessa
135   01:09:20  COSTELLO, Jackie
142   01:12:50  STRAWBRIDGE, Tracey
144   01:12:50  DICKS, Mickie
152   01:13:50  CROUCHER, Pat

After the soaking wet of Saturday and the near gale force winds on Sunday it could only be time to head  for the Devon County Cross Country Champs at Exeter Arena for Honiton Running Club's racers. Honiton haven't competed in the championships for several years so this was a chance to see if there had been an improvement in the intervening period. While many other clubs across the county struggled to get complete teams to the event Honiton sent a full squad for both men and women's events. First race was for the women who raced away from the start into a full headwind. A slippery 3.5 mile three lap run around the playing fields was in front of them and the leading few runners soon sprinted away from the pack. But the Honiton ladies hung in there and after the first lap had all got good momentum and were moving steadily up the field. It was difficult to know exactly what position they held as there were several different age groups competing in the race. At the finish Fran Bond crossed the line in 10th place overall and finished first in her age group in a time of 29.38. Judy Davey soon sprinted in for 18th place in 31.35 and was second in her age group while Claire Pomeroy was just behind in 22nd in a time of 33.35. Pippa Westall, in her first competitive race for Honiton, finished well in 28th place in 36.04. The team's combined score saw Honiton finish in fifth position overall.

The men had about six miles of racing to look forward to as seniors, masters and juniors toed the line together at the start. After the first straight it was very apparent that there was going to be a fierce fight for the top places as the lead runners streaked away at sub five minute mile pace. With only one man in the senior age group and the rest running in various Master age groups the Honiton men knew that they had their work cut out to make an impression on the race. Nevertheless they managed some good finishing places and at the final count came out in third place overall in the team standings. Tim Legg once again showed his strength as he lead the Honiton runners to the line in 33rd place in 36.35 but slipped a place in the final run in after being directed slightly offline. Geoff Foster tried to hold on to Tim but slowly drifted back from him after a couple of laps but finished 37th in 37.31. Paul Davey splashed doggedly through the mud for 46th place in 40.11 and just held off Vernon Gillard, 47th in 40.26,  who had tracked him from start to finish but couldn't quite find the pace to challenge his supremacy. Steve Boyes also ran a gutsy race only a week after completing the Luton Marathon in an excellent 3.32.03. Steve was glad that it wasn't that far this week and finished strongly in 51st place with a time of 41.04. Roger Saunders rounded off the team performance by finishing 56th in 42.01 after a ding dong battle with Sidmouth's evergreen John Perratt.  

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Honiton runners were at the annual Bicton Blister race on Sunday for the brisk blast around 11 miles of Woodbury Common. A good day was had by all on the fast course which had been rerouted somewhat from previous years but which still kept its reputation for fast times on a pleasantly runable surface. Paul Davey had recovered sufficiently from his Snowdon Marathon experience a couple of weeks earlier to lead the team home in 58th place overall with a time of 1.18.22. But Paul had to keep his pace up right to the line as Honiton stalwart Vernon Gillard made a bid for the premier slot by pressing right to the end and finishing just 6 seconds and one place behind Paul. Next home was Richard Harvey who has been sidelined by a nagging ankle injury of late. Richard was pleased to finish the course in one piece in 95th place with a time of 1.22.29. The performance of the day had to go to fast improving  Steve Davey who made light work of the course to stride around with his lanky legs to finish 109th in 1.24.25. Steve was followed in by Bruce Strawbridge who had another excellent finish in 115th in 1.24.59. Guy Paddon also had a solid race with a 1.25.19 finish in 117th.  First lady home for Honiton was Judy Davey in 151st with 1.28.59 who was pleased to finish in one piece and upright as her last race found her in the wars with some nasty  bruises and cuts after several  falls. Ceri Oak was just three places behind Judy in a time of 1.29.34.  Jon Bartholomew is starting to get into the racing scene lately and it is showing as he moves through the ranks of Honiton runners. Jon finished 176th in 1.31.34.  Other Honiton runners were:180 Nick Thorpe  1.32.01; 196 John Burgess 1.34.15; 221 Claire Pomeroy 1.38.01; 295 Sandra Thorpe 1.51.11; 312 Tony Whiteley 1.57.06; 320 Tracey Strawbridge 2.06.28.

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A week after doing the Exmoor Stagger half marathon race Paul Davey took on the long awaited Snowdonia Marathon. After the Exmoor race Paul's legs were still aching until Wednesday so it wasnt looking good for Snowdon. Paul  left Honiton with his family  early Friday morning for the 275 mile trek to North Wales and was over the border by lunchtime and arrived in Llanberis early afternoon to pick up the race pack. After an early night the day came, cold and clear but ideal weather for  the race. The start was at nant peris and after 2 - 3 miles undulating started the long gradual climb up the Llanberis Pass to the  Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel. and from. With his calf's feeling like they were on fire it was down hill for several miles, where the scenery was breath taking ,on to the village of Beddgelert where Paul's wife was spectating and cheering him on. The weather turned and it started to rain on the gradual climb out of the valley and for a couple of miles the terrain was OK until a fellow runner told him the worst was to come at 21 miles. And he wasn't wrong! The climb over at least 2 miles was impossible to run and Paul's legs were shot, but he jogged and  walked up to Waunfawr and then across the top before dropping down towards the finish in Llanberis. His legs were hurting getting up there but were screaming coming down. Back into the village Paul crossed the line in 3 hours 42 minutes and was very pleased with the time. After a sports massage a couple of pints of beer and a good hot meal he felt great after what they say its the toughest marathon in the country. Would he do it again next year? You bet, and he  can't wait to do it again. Paul  would like to thank all those who sponsored him as he raised about £700 for Seeability - so all of the pain had a purpose.

It was ideal conditions for running the Castle Drogo 10 mile race. Cool and cloudy at the start with the sun breaking through towards the end. The outstanding autumn colours and the steep sided Teign Valley gives spectacular views, and with the route threading along the valley via Fingle Bridge, this was voted the top Devon Race of 2006. It attracted a  entry of over 300 runners from far and wide. The winner was Jim Cole from Tavistock AC in the excellent time of 1:04:20. However, another runner who was well in the lead took a wrong turn which sliced 3 miles off the course. Having got to the finish and realised his mistake, he set off again and completed the second lap in 1:05!!. Mere mortals can only wonder at such ability. The first lady was ex-Honiton Community College teacher, Emma Hitchens of South West Road Runners, who was 10th in 7:05:03. The Honiton Running Club contingent was led home by Stephen Boyes 76th in 1:24:49, enjoying his first outing on The Drogo, followed by Steve Davey 107th in 1:26:52, who is now getting back to full fitness after a knee injury. Steve's wife Judy and Bruce Strawbridge normally have a tussle for supremacy but Judy fell twice on the steep descents and was fortunate that her injuries were no worse than some nasty grazes. Bruce came home 120th in 1:28:04 with Judy, who was determined to finish, 165th in 1:34:17. Bringing up the Honiton rear were John Burgess 173rd in 1:35:17 and Tony Whitely 280th in 1:54:12.
 
Pete Ruhen reports from down under in New Zealand that he only just survived the Auckland half marathon and gave the reason as not being as fit as when he last ran with HRC's, Devon chapter! The day started with rain but luckily little wind that is the usual feature of this race. This made for good running conditions, though the hills, seven in all, almost proved his undoing. The most challenging was the 3/4 mile bridge or more accurately the one in two incline. Most fellow entrants passed Peter on these hills so he had to find something on the other side which proved a bit tough on the bridge as all the others had the same idea! Pete's saviour was the pacers, who he lost almost permanently as the bridge took it's toll, but found again about a quarter of a mile from the finish. It proved familiar territory as he had run a 5k held round the city marina 6 years earlier. Pete ended up sitting in a  state of suspended nausia  then finally woke to return the timing chip and wait for news... which did prove quite good with a 1:43.06, first in his age division and 2nd for the 60 - 70 group.

The Ilminster 10k road race was held last week with several Honiton Runners having a whizz around the course.  Vernon Gillard led the Honiton runners home in 36th  place in a time of 41min 10sec followed by 52 Julian Gigg  42min 52sec; 119 Nick Thorpe 48min 16sec; 136 Gary Enticott 50min 10sec; 140 Rodney Warren 50min 30sec; 157 Alan Rowe 52min 10sec; 164 Jennie Sleeman 53min 4sec.

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Honiton runners were on their travels again in the last two weekends. At Newton Abbot John Burgess, Judy Davey and Tony Whiteley did the Dartmoor Vale Half-marathon and Steve Davey did the 10K. The weather was chilly at the start but with a clear sky and sun it was ideal running weather. The course started at the race-course and went out to Chudleigh and back but this year they decided to make it more scenic by including a long climb out of Chudleigh which made it a more testing course than in previous years. Judy stormed around the course making light of the terrain and recorded a PB of 1:39:37 in 76th place overall which was an excellent performance. Tony raced to the line trying to beat the clock as it ticked round to the 2 hour mark. He made it by 16 seconds in 182nd place. So about a year after his first race - The Bristol Half-marathon and after many hard races this year where he has often been the only HRC runner he has achieved a very good reward for all his hard work. John did 1:48:49 which he said "was OK for an old un" crossing the line 125th and first vet 60. Steve enjoyed his race finishing 45th in 43.25 for the 10K. Paul Davey ran the Exmoor Stagger on the same day in a time of 2:31:36 and came home 62nd out of 240.

After organising an excellent headlight training run and curry night at Payhembury on Friday Nick and Sandra Thorpe braved the weather to run the Stickler multi-terrain race which is also known as the Dorset 3 Peak's Challenge. It is based in the village of Shillingstone, near Blandford Forum. This race now in its 13th year takes in 3 of the highest hills in Dorset and is measured at 10.1 miles. Starting in a quiet country lane, the runners were soon faced with Okeford Hill Beacon, a 1 in 3 climb where walking was easier than running. At the top things weren't much easier as the rain was ably assisted by a strong wind and as usual with running, they always seemed to be heading into it. After a long descent, hills 2 and 3 were soon upon them. There was also what the race organisers described as the 'hidden hill'. As it was possible to run this hill, it obviously didn't merit part of the race title. The last two miles of the race were either steeply downhill or flat, which was a welcome relief after the hills, although the wind was so strong coming down the hill that it was almost as tough as running up. The finish was on the platform of the disused Shillingstone Station, which is currently being restored to be part of a steam railway. Nick was pleased to finish in 218th place in a time of 1:35:56 and Sandra on her first attempt was very happy to finish in a time of 1:55:03 in 363rd place.

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Honiton Running Club members were out early on Sunday morning to prepare the course for the annual Specsavers Honiton 12k race and Fun Run. The sun was breaking through as the athletes toed the line at the 10.30 start in the High Street. Mayor Vernon Whitlock sounded the klaxon and the runners in the main race sprinted away after the lead vintage Land Rover driven by Chief Marshall and Honiton Social Secretary Nick Thorpe. An early lead was taken by Tipton runner Peter Rigler but he was soon rejoined by three other runners including Honiton's Geoff Foster. By the time they got to Heath Park the pack was down to three and by 4k Tiverton Harriers athlete Kerry Roberts had a slim lead over Ian Stoneman of South West Road Runners. By the time the two leaders had passed Iron Bridge they had pulled out a big lead  which had extended to  400 yards as they heard the church bells in Gittisham. The battle at the front continued all the way to the line with Ian just gaining the advantage by 2 seconds at the finish which was reached in 43.21. A couple of minutes later cheers went up as Geoff Foster finished strongly in 5th place with a time of 45.24. First lady home was 50+ veteran Karen Cook of South West Road Runners who zipped around the course in a time of 50.35 for a 33rd placing overall. Other Honiton runners were: 36 Steve Boyes 51.32; 58 Judy Davey 56.48; 113 Tony Whiteley 67.40.

The mile fun run was a great success with about 100 runners aged from 2 years to 80. Many were in fancy dress but it was very competitive at the front as the youngsters sprinted around the field to the finish to claim their medals, lollipops and drinks as well as spot prizes donated by Tesco.

Club Chairman Paul Lowman and Mayor Vernon Whitlock presented prizes for the main race and goody bags were distributed courtesy of Specsavers Honiton. Paul thanked all those who organised and helped on the day especially Ian Jeeves, Jo Lowman and Sandra Thorpe. He also thanked stalwart sponsors Thornhayes Nursery, Hale Lane Nurseries, Bests, Specsavers, Tesco and Everys Solicitors. Paul also announced the formation of a young athletes training group which will be launched by Honiton Running Club before Christmas.

While most club members were organising the Honiton 12k Paul Davey took a long awaited trip to Cardiff for the half marathon. He roused the family at 4am and they were on the road by 4.45 but it all paid off. The weather was just right for running on the very flat course that took in all the sights of Cardiff and Paul ended up with a pb of 1.25.17 and was really pleased. It puts him in good stead for the Snowdonia Marathon in two weeks. Maggie Richards and Janet Leach, two new  club  members, also finished the race. Maggie  in 2.17 and Janet in  2.10 and both were pleased with their times.

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The North Devon 10k was the focus for a few Honiton runners on Sunday. The race started in the town centre of South Moulton and after a lap of the town headed off towards the village of Alswear where it turned and headed back along quite country lanes. Honiton runner Paul Davey warned at the start that this was a race of two halves, the first 6k mainly flat or downhill. But as the runners started the hills some realised that they had started too quickly.  It was a very well orgainised race, with a sweatshirt as a prize and even drinks and sandwiches at the finish all in the entry fee. Unfortunately a computer glitch prevented  getting definite finish times, but approximate times were: Paul Davey 40.40 (a little slower than last year); Bruce Strawbridge 48.05; Nick Thorpe  51.07; Sandra Thorpe 57 ish; Tracey Strawbridge 60 ish.

A new Honiton running club vest was seen progressing a little tentively along Takapuna harbour beach in New Zealand last Sunday morning , a first showing of Pete Ruhen who has returned to his homeland for a few months. Honiton RC is late entered in the Auckland Half-Marathon at the end of October. where it will be warm and undulating with a pretty testing climb over the coat hanger (harbour bridge) a short way into the run.

Honiton star ultradistance runner Heather Foundling-Hawker has been laid low in recent weeks after an excellent summer of racing. Heather suffered a stress fracture in her ankle, which has only recently been diagnosed, a few days after her excellent run in the GB 50k champs . The leg has been plastered up so she won't be able to compete for several weeks and her places in both World and European 50k and 100k races have had to be relibnquished. Hopefully Heather can get back to running in the not too distant future.

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Honiton runners faced another difficult race at the weekend competing in the Musbury Challenge Hill Race. Billed as a Grizzly over 8 miles the race certainly sorts out the mountain goats from mere mortals. Geoff Foster continued his Grizzly form by just dipping under the hour in 12th place with a time of 58.12 leading the 14 Honiton runners home. Vernon Gillard was a surprise runner since he doesn't usually turn out for hill races but he ran well to keep clear of an improving Richard Harvey finishing 21st in 62.04 in front of Richard's 24th in 62.55.  There was a good Honiton battle in the ladies race with Ceri Oak just outrunning Judy Davey by 8 seconds and two places. Ceri finished 38th in 67.27 with Judy 40th in 67.35. Other Honiton runners: 43 Steve Davey 68.24; 44 Bruce Strawbridge 68.27; 58 John Burgess 73.12; 64 Nick Thorpe 77.14; 69 Pete Lyus 81.04; 71 Tony Whiteley 82.34; 72 Jon Bartholomew 82.35; 88 Sandra Thorpe 90.24; 98 Tracey Strawbridge 98.40. 

Last week three Honiton runners travelled to Bristol for the annual half-marathon. On a flat course Paul Davey returned to good form with an excellent 1.26.45 timing in 250th place in front of many thousands of runners. The years success story for the Race for Life runners came as Mickie Dicks and Linda Horn completed their first half marathon only a year after doing Race for Life. Both were thrilled to finish  - Mickie in 7776th with 2.24.47 while Linda crossed the line 8692nd in 2.47.20.

Maybe due to the recent Grizzly, or maybe because England were playing football, the emphasis for the last of the summer series of 5km runs at Yeovilton for this year was on
quality rather than quantity, and the Honiton contingent at the race was rather depleted. Tim Legg was there, and improved a further twenty seconds to storm round in 16.46 (fourteenth overall, and second Vet), his best time over the distance for a long time.  Geoff Foster is still improving, and despite running the full Grizzly on Sunday, with youth on his side he had recovered enough to set yet another new PB at 17.54, and is confident of improving further at next year's series of races.  Claire Pomeroy did the Grizzly Cub Run on Sunday but was still able to set a new PB of 22.01, and Tony Whiteley improved again to do 22.52.  Rod Warren was Honiton's last finisher in 23.25.

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Sunday's running of the Grizzly entertained a large group of Honiton runners with its extended 19.5 mile route and 20% more hills making it probably the most difficult race yet.  Then of course there were the bogs, the beaches and the blistering heat to contend with as well as the combined total of  3900 ft. of climbing which made it harder than the Snowdon Mountain race. But these mere statistics didn't dent the enthusiasm of the Honiton crew and the near 1000 runners who finished the race, but acted as an incentive to overcome the pain and walk away with another hard earned Grizzly T-shirt.

The Honiton hordes were led home by Kevin Hawker who sprinted around the course in 2.45.21 to finish in 17th place. Kevin was followed by relative newcomer Geoff Foster who also finished under 3 hours in an excellent time of 2.52.18 in 30th place. Stalwart Honiton runner  Vernon Gillard  was next home with a time of 3.12.56 in 135th place. Vernon looks set for a very good winter of racing in this form. Julian Gigg and Roger Saunders had a good race with Julian finishing 233rd in 3.24.30 and Roger in 3.25.40.  In the ladies race Judy Davey and Fran Bond dipped their toes into the world of long distance racing for the first time after several races of a shorter length since starting running last year. Their finish together in a time of 3.31.34 in 298th place shows that they have the talent for the longer races so we will probably  be seeing more of them in the years to come. Leisa Lavender had a solid race finishing 531st in 3.56.57 while Klara Bodfish stepped up to the plate for the first time to run steadily around the course to finish 833rd in 4.39.09. Jo Lowman did another gutsy race in 914th and 4.57.08 while Tracey Strawbridge rounded off the Honiton ladies efforts with an excellent debut finish in 941st with 5.04.44.

Other Honiton runners: 282 Grant Boyd 3.30.26; 295 Steve Boyes 3.31.02; 374 Richard Harvey 3.39.59; 394 Stephen Strawbridge 3.41.44; 450 Steve Davey 3.47.16; 587 John Burgess 4.03.54; 596 Wayne Spiller 4.05.18; 768 Warren Oak 4.27.07; 780 Pete Lyus 4.29.18; 821 Bill Garvey 4.37.45; 924 Alan Nicholls 4.58.52.

 In the Cub Run Claire Pomeroy led the Honiton ladies home in 15th place with 1.33.47 followed by Sarah Warren in 36th with 1.45.18. Wendy Graham and Tracey Dingle ran around the testing course together and finished 114 and 116th in 2.14.12.

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Honiton's star ultra distance runner Heather Foundling-Hawker competed in the Great Britain 50km Championships at Boddington near Gloucester on August 19th. The course consisted of 14 laps approx 3.5km each. With light drizzle all day and humid conditions, Heather ran a fantastic race coming 6th overall and 2nd lady winning a silver England AAA medal.

Heather was also first Vet 40. Heathers time of 3:37:32 now means she has qualified for the European 50k Championships being hosted in Palmero Sicily on October 14th. Heather currently holds the Worlds best time ever for Women vet 40 and beat the reigning European 50k champion by 5 minutes at Boddington that secured Heathers place in Sicily. On her last visit to Sicily in 2005 saw Heather crowned European 50k and she is currently ranked number two for the race in 2007.

Before the European 50 though Heather will be competing for Great Britain over double the distance the World 100km Championships being held at Winschoten in Holland on September 08th. Heather is seeded 6th in the World for the race and 2nd vet 40, Heather has a great chance of winning a age category medal. Heather is seeded first lady for the Great Britain team 25 minutes ahead of the second member of the team. Good luck to Heather in her upcoming races competing for her country.

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Honiton runners have been busy for the last few Wednesday evenings competing in races around the area. The first  saw a large Honiton contingent take on a 10k of challenging cross country through the stunning Forde Abbey Estate. Crossing meadows, rivers and woodlands in the idyllic corner of West Dorset. Honiton's racing drayman Geoff Foster led the Honiton runners home to an overall team victory. Geoff finished in 9th place in 41.49, just in front of first lady Heather Foundling-Hawker who finished well clear in 42.13.

The Haselbury Trail Race, organised by Crewkerne Running Club, was a demanding 2 lap 10 kilometre multi-terrain race over tracks and footpaths. Tim Legg joined in the fun at this race and came home in an excellent 9th place in 42.13 followed in 16th by Geoff Foster in 43.11 and first lady Heather Foundling-Hawker in 20th with 43.45. The same order was continued at the 5th race in the Yeovilton 5k series last Wednesday. Tim finished 10th in 17.06 with Geoff 23rd in a new PB of 17.58 and Heather 33rd and first lady in 18.25. Fran Bond saw a huge 40 second improvement in her personal best with 20.51 in 75th place.

Other runners at Forde Abbey: 40 Steve Davey, 46.48; 42 Steven Strawbridge, 46.57; 46 Fran Bond, 47.32; 47 Roger Saunders 47.33; 57 Ceri Oak, 48.35; 67 John Bell, 50.02; 72 Paul Sherwood, 50.36; 73 John Burgess, 50.39; 80 Judy Davey, 51.27; 87 Malcolm Hall, 52.51; 90 Simon Boswell, 53.13; 92 Warren Oak, 53.24; 103 Jackie Hall, 57.14; 113 Sue Jones, 58.28; 125 Sarah Warren, 60.00; 134 Tony Whiteley, 61.53; 135 Brett Dicks, 61.54; 146 Kirsty Sherwood, 64.31; 156 Tracey Strawbridge, 67.33.

Other runners at Haselbury Pluknett: 50 Roger Saunders, 48.59; 52 Steve Davey, 49.01; 55 Fran Bond, 49.18 (3rd lady); 78 Judy Davey, 52.57; 83 Bruce Strawbridge, 53.25; 90 John Burgess, 54.06; 94 Malcolm Hall, 55.14; 109 Nick Thorpe, 57.16; 124 Michael Davies, 60.24; 138 Sue Jones, 62.38; 141 Bill Garvey, 63.32; 142 Kirsty Sherwood, 63.35; 164 Tracey Strawbridge, 72.37.

Other runners at Yeovilton: 82 Pete Ruhen, 21.37; 93 John Burgess, 22.22; 94 Jon Bartholomew, 22.22; 102 Claire Pomeroy, 23.03; 104 Alan Nicholls, 23.07; 107 Tony Whiteley, 23.41; 110 Sarah Warren, 23.52; 112 Rod Warren, 23.56; 121 Kirsty Sherwood, 24.56.

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Last Saturday saw a unique running event hit the streets when Honiton Running Club joined the 750 celebrations. Ten teams of ten runners set of from ten different villages at 9.30am to run 7.5 miles each and so complete 750 cumulative miles in under two hours. Runs started from Ottery St Mary. Talaton, Payhembury, Broadhembury, Sidbury, Upottery, Dunkeswell, Stockland, Dalwood, and Southleigh. The whole event was masterminded by club members John Burgess and Ian Jeeves and it all worked like clockwork. Honiton Mayor Vernon Whitlock greeted the runners as they arrived and the ceremonial batons, which were carried by each group, were assembled into a wheel which had been constructed by Bill Garvey Ltd. of Payhembury, who also happens to be a club member. This run saw the biggest turnout ever from Honiton runners and they were assisted by runners from Axe Valley and Chard and several other clubs and organisations.

Roger Saunders writes: "The Payhembury group of 12.5 runners (the 0.5 started at Buckerell) set out from the Six Bells Pub at Payhembury after unsuccessfully trying to raise the landlord to use the loos before the start. The undulating route took in Old Feniton, Buckerell and Weston before arriving in Honiton. The baton was passed around the group but Lubos the weightlifter made light work of carrying it. Several in the group had trained hard for this and did exceptionally well to finish in about 1.5 hours. Well done to all."

John Burgess said: "11 intrepid runners set off from Talaton, baton in hand and light of foot. On the least hilly of the 10 courses progress was steady. One mile of road took us to the grassy track that leads to Escott Park where a family of one the runners gave opportunity for a drink and a loo stop. Then on through the park to Feniton, and another mile to Old Feniton. A couple of the runners were finding it tough going so hitched a lift for a while before joining in again nearer Honiton. At 4 miles we were at the site of the Battle of Fenny Bridges - July 29th 1549 but with 21st traffic thundering above our heads as we went under the A30. On to the old Roman Road approach to Honiton where we picked up two runners who were doing half the route. Finally we jogged into Honiton, regrouped at Police Station before finishing in triumph up the High St. and slotting in our baton."

Club Chairman Paul Lowman led another group: "The Sidbury contingent started off in bright sunshine and it looked as if it was going to be a long hot struggle. The first mile & a quarter consisted of a climb to the edge of Mincombe woods followed by a further three quarters of a mile in the woods themselves. This was a welcome respite from the sunshine, as was the jovial banter from the team which kept everyone’s spirits up. After the long climb up through the woods we were faced with a steep descent back down through Roncombe Goyle to Lower Mincombe Farm and as every runner knows, every downhill stretch is invariably followed by an uphill climb. The long ascent from Lower Knapp Farm to Farway Hill was the final ascent for the Sidbury team, a long hard climb which, predictably, resulted in a hard brisk walk with a rapid change from sunny to cloudy & cool conditions, much welcomed. Two of team decided that we weren’t good enough and decided to chase off in the opposite direction, this was soon remedied by the intrepid Pete Lyus who sprinted off in hot pursuit and persuaded them to rejoin the team. Great team spirit meant that no-one was left behind, a small number of “catch up” stops kept everyone in the fold and offered good opportunities for social discourse. The final stretch was a sharp descent from Higher Blanicombe Farm to Honiton Bottom Road via brand lane. Eleven pairs of tired legs enjoyed the level terrain back to Honiton high street having climbed a total of 1173 feet but descending a mere 990 (we are still wondering what happened to the lost 183 feet, will we suddenly come down to earth with a bump?). Our arrival at the finish at 11:14 reflected the long climb, and the applause from the crowds watching was most welcome."

Club Secretary Alan Nicholls led the Upottery group: "A quick photo in front of the church clock to prove we weren't cheating then off towards Rawridge on the road. All the Upottery group were regular club runners and it was soon apparent that they were not going to look at the wonderful countryside but just push along at a good pace. Team leader tried to evoke "Midsummer Dream" tactics of making everyone walk up the hills but it didn't work very well. Across the river Otter at Rawridge and cross country to Mohuns Ottery then by road to Monkton saw the group facing the mile climb behind Monkton. The lads at the front shot up but the pace was showing a bit at the back so they had to wait a while at the top of the hill. Then bliss - flat and down Northcote Hill into the High Street and a fast finish. Amazingly we were first home. Excellent cakes and drinks from Suzanne Lyus soon had us refreshed and cheering in the other groups. Well done everyone!"

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Life has been busy for Honiton runners over the last few weeks. Several social training runs have been enjoyed including a pub run at Talaton, the Midsummer Dream run and a barbeque run at Smeatharpe. This Wednesday sees a continuation of the summer fun with a pub run from Dalwood. Sunday training runs are focussing on the Grizzly race which was moved to September after the chaos at Branscombe. There has also been a lot of work put into the organisation of the Honiton 750 Run which will see 100 runners completing 7.5 miles each on ten different courses on 28th July. There are still places vacant for runners to join in the fun so see the notices at the Sports Centre.

Several races have been well attended recently.  There was a 6.5 mile multi-terrain course and also a 2.5 mile fun run at Tipton St John last Saturday and also one at Forde Abbey last Thursday. The monthly 5k series at Yeovilton was enjoyed by 7 Honiton runners last Wednesday evening. Geoff Foster shaved a few more seconds off his PB for the course with an 18 minute finish in 32nd place while Pete Ruhen, Judy Davey and Tony Whiteley all improved their times by a few seconds. Honiton mens team ran a good race at the Erme Valley Relays on 6th July. Geoff Foster took on the first leg with 14.38 followed by Tim Legg in 14 minutes, Richard Harvey in 15.38 and Kevin Hawker in 13.31 which placed them a creditable 11th team overall in a field of 71 teams.

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Last Wednesday was the third race in the Yeovilton 5k summer series with a dozen Honiton runners toeing the line amongst the 174 starters. As usual the race was run at breakneck speed around the flat Yeovilton course. Geoff Foster is improving with every race and led the Honiton hordes home in only his second Yeovilton race with an improvement of 41 seconds over last months time with 18.06 in 38th place. The run put Geoff into 5th place on the all time Honiton list for this race just ahead of Paul Davey. Richard Harvey was next across the line in a solid 19.06 in 58th place. Newcomer Steve Davey accompanied his wife Judy to the race and showed good form with a time of 20.56 in 86th place. Fran Bond led the Honiton ladies home in 21.42 and 93rd place. Fran has run all three races this year and has a spread of only seven seconds over all three finish times. Evergreen Pete Ruhen just made the first hundred in 97th with 21.57 but Nick Thorpe on 22.12 in 105th and Judy Davey, 22.15 in 107th were breathing down Pete’s neck. Rod Warren has also run the first three races of the series and came home this time with a new P.B. by 17 seconds of 24.01 in 128th place. Tony Whiteley was a newcomer to the race and finished 133 with a target time for next month of 24.37 while Sandra Thorpe did her fastest this year with 25.48 in 148th. Two other newcomers ran around together. Liz Corney finished 152nd in 26.23 with Kirsty Sherwood just one place back in 26.29.

Kevin Hawker made the trip to Clevedon near Bristol last Tuesday looking for a quick 10km. Kevin was on for a very quick time going through 8km in 27 minutes feeling good, so injected a burst of pace to pass two runners. Then ouch! Kevin found a pot hole in the road and twisted his ankle running at full pace. After hobbling around for a minute Kevin jogged home for the last mile to finish in 35:42. Still his fastest time for 5 years.

On Saturday evening the Bampton 10k was the focus for Tm Legg, Heather Foundling-Hawker and Richard Harvey. An undulating course on the road was a good test of speed and stamina in which Tim just edged in front of Heather to finish 21st in 38.40 with Heather 23rd in 39.16 but Heather still took the first lady prize by a good margin. Richard finished well with a 41.42 finish in 49th place.

On Sunday morning it was warm but slightly overcast which brought the temperature down a bit. Honiton runners were out once again for the Killerton Kanter. Tim Legg had raced the night before at Bampton but he still managed a good battle with Geoff Foster up to about 3 miles when Geoff overtook on a downhill section and pulled away. Guy Paddon was 2 minutes quicker than last year and pushed Roger Saunders all the way. Steve Davey, Fran Bond, Ceri Oak and Judy Davey ran together for the first mile before Steve pulled away followed by Fran. But just before the fast downhill finish Fran had caught him. Steve glanced back and saw her and won the sprint to the line, with Ceri also finishing strongly just 9 seconds behind. Another battle took place between John Burgess and Wayne Spiller. John caught Wayne up at about 3 miles, as Wayne's road shoes did not give much grip up the muddy hills, but Wayne kept John in sight and went past with a mile to go. Just after that Bruce Strawbridge, who has made great improvement this year also passed John and he and Wayne fought out the run in wth Wayne just edging it. Malcolm and Jackie Hall made a welcome return to running with the club but are missing some fitness after their escapades in America. Claire Pomeroy set out to enjoy the run without overdoing it and was pleased with her time. Club President Alan Rowe is also steadily
improving and got in well under the hour. Anne Ephraums is not managing too run much at present but did well. Finally Tracey Strawbridge put in another gutsy run. Results: 13. Geoff Foster, 42.39; 16. Tim Legg, 43.11; 28. Roger Saunders, 47.03; 33. Guy Paddon, 47.35; 49. Steve Davey, 49.24; 50. Fran Bond, 49.30; 53. Ceri Oak, 49.39; 62. Wayne Spiller, 50.48; 64. John Burgess, 50.56; 67. John Bell, 51.05; 76. Judy Davey, 51.59; 81. Malcolm Hall, 52.29; 115. Claire Pomeroy, 56.48; 120. Alan Rowe, 57.37; 129. Jackie Hall, 60.06; 138. Anne Ephraums, 61.54; 173. Tracey Strawbridge, 69.40.  

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Honiton atheletes Heather Foundling-Hawker and Peter Ruhen have both travelled to Edinburgh in the last fortnight to race in two different events.
Heather represented England in the British 100km Championships. She started the race well but was soon in agony as her new England kit, which included cotton twill shorts, chaffed her legs with every stride. Heather bravely kept running but had to be retired at 80k and was promptly taken to Edinburgh hospital to be bandaged up and then to face the long journey home .
Last Sunday, despite only removing the dressings on Friday, Heather lined up for the Dartmoor Discovery 32mile Ultra Marathon the toughest and longest road race in Great Britian.
She decided to dress her wounds second skin, and, wary of causing her wounds to reopen nearly wore a skirt. Heather started off at an easy pace yet still retained her title for the fourth year running. Heather said afterwards "it's the toughest race I have ever run , yet the most enjoyable, the scenery is beautiful, the encouragement exhilarating, everyone that finishes is a true winner and it's a tremendous stress buster, after all the Dartmoor discovery was where I was "Discovered" and was asked to join the Great Britain squad 2 years ago. I am so relieved as now I can look forward to the 50km British Champs at Bodington at the end of July , however I don';t intend to wear those shorts." Heather was first Lady by over 30 minutes having gone through the marathon point in3.15, the 50k in 3.54 and finishing in 4.07, 2 only two minutes slower than her best time

Honiton's supervet Pete Ruhen headed north of the border last weekend. After a 10 hr train journey early on Friday Pete registered on Saturday and purchased gels and new watch. On Saturday night he was woken by the sound of hail and thunder, with torrential rain still falling as 7,500 very cold runners assembled for a 9am start on Princess St in the city’s centre.
The course’s layout favoured fast times, but the day’s weather conditions didn’t. The rain continued through the early stages. The course was fairly flat after a gradual rise then a steady decent to the coast. Here runners were exposed to strong head winds as they passed along Portobello and Musselburgh Promenades, Prestonpans and Port Seton till turning back in sunshine through beautiful Gosford House Estate, Port Seton, Cockenzie Harbour promenade and Prestonpans to finish at the Musselburgh Race Course.

At the start Pete found the 4 hour Danish pacers, keeping them in sight till 17 miles. They were averaging about 8:53 min miles, however necessary pit stops distanced them further. Over the last miles Pete's legs stiffened noticeably and his knees ceased to function as shock absorbers. He felt the only too familiar early symptoms of the London Marathon Wall, which he ran a few weeks earlier, but managed a slow lateral lifeless looking ‘jog’. Gel intakes each three quarters of an hour and frequent liquid intakes helped but Pete said "unfortunately I lost any brief command I may have had over my new watch, and could only guess I was heading for about a 4:12 result as I was now managing only 12 plus minute miles but the 4:15 pacemakers had not passed me. The finish with large crowds at the Musselburgh Race Course made me find from somewhere a short sprint for any onlookers! Knowledge of my time had to wait till Wednesday morning when the Edinburgh Evening News arrived in the post: a pleasant surprise of a time of 4:05.48, and a PB (previously 4:09 in 2004) and an improvement of 25min on London last month. I was placed 1,775 out of 3,564 and 3rd out of 15 in my advanced year age group! Had I known I was only 5 minutes off my goal time of 4 hours during the later stages I might not have been able to file this report !"
 

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The Ottery 10k on Sunday saw a large turnout from Honiton of 18 runners. James Denne has been getting better with every race since he finished University in the spring. Sunday was no exception as he decimated the field with a good time of 33 minutes and bits. Veteran Tim Legg thought that he had a relatively poor run in midweek at the Yeovilton 5k but ran much better at Ottery and surprised himself with 36.23 in second place. Tim put it down to the positive effect of going for a walk on Dartmoor the day before. Other results are not to hand but rumour has it that prolific racer Richard Harvey ran a personal best so a lot of runners will be looking over their shoulders for him for the rest of the summer.

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Sunday dawned with the rain lashing against the windows and churning up the mud of the Umborne Ug. While most sensible people settled down under the duvet with the Sunday papers and cup of coffee six intrepid Honiton runners set out for the tiny village of Umborne which is one of those places that only the locals have heard of. But Umborne is a thriving community and is raising money for its village hall, currently an ancient Nissan Hut, so The Umborne Ug was born last year to help the funds. "Sixish" miles of road, field, track and forest attracted a good number of local runners, together with several walkers, despite the driving rain.

Geoff Foster was Honiton's lead runner and kept a fast pace throughout the race, and despite two steep, slippery climbs that took their toll, came home in 8th place in the excellent time of 48.29. Judy Davy, had run hard the previous day in the Ivybridge 10K, but set off at a good pace in company with husband Steve and with vet John Burgess struggling to keep up. Steve soon drew away and despite getting in front of Judy after a mile John was soon overtaken on the first steep climb. He managed to keep her in sight and overtook again at about mile 3 but then had to stop to tie his shoe laces and Judy once more galloped passed. Meanwhile Ceri Oak, who much prefers running off-road had been steadily gaining on them both and surged passed at half-way. Steve had a good run and finished in 17th with a time of 55.54. Ceri raced down the final hills, holding off the strong challenge of a Sidmouth runner, to finish second lady home in 20th overall with a time of 56.38. The previous day's hard run eventually slowed Judy enough for John to beat her home 22nd in a time of 56.47, with Judy in 24th at 59.06. Clare Pomeroy had been up to Somerset for the intimidating Black Death Run last week but found the mud and hills of Umborne a tougher challenge. Nevertheless she really enjoyed the run, arriving back soaked to the skin but still smiling in 27th in a good time of 64.29.

Four runners travelled to the Ivybridge 10k on Saturday evening to run on a very fast course. Paul Davey covered the course in a new personal best of 39.17 while Richard Harvey did his fastest 10k for over three years with 41.15. Fran Bond and Judy Davey  also ran personal best times with 45.05 and 47.06.

At the Great West Run half marathon the Hawker family had a good day with Heather running a solid 1.22.40 to finish first lady a minute or so in front of her nearest rival. Husband Kevin is improving with every race and came home  in 7th place in the men's race with 1.20.46.  They were followed in much later by another eight Honiton runners: 218 Guy Paddon, 1.38.36; 989 Alan Rowe, 1.59.47; 991 Jennie Read 2.00.01; 1349 Tony Whiteley, 2.09.19; 1549 Sara Read, 2.18.04; 1761 Tracy Dingle, 2.29.03; 1769 Tracey Strawbridge, 2.30.04; 1777 Tina Stevens, 2.30.10.

On Wednesday ten runners started at the monthly Yeovilton 5k race. Paul Davey led the pack home in 43rd with 18.36 with newcomer Geoff Foster in 48th just 11 seconds behind. Other finishers were Richard Harvey, 19.13; Roger Saunders, 20.20; Pete Ruhen with a P.B. 21.46; Fran Bond, 21.48; John Burgess, 21.49; Alan Nicholls, 22.51; Sarah Warren 24.07; Rod Warren 24.18.

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Honiton Running Club will once again be offering a training course for the forthcoming "Race For Life" this summer. The club has actively supported the event for several years and has helped many runners to successfully get the best out of themselves over the five kilometre distance.

The course will take place from Honiton Sports Centre over 8 weeks starting on Monday 7th May at 6.00pm and each session will last about 1 hour. The total cost of the course will be £5 to be paid at the first session.

Qualified athletics coaches will lead the sessions which will progress from alternate walking and jogging in the first week to being able to complete the 5k distance by the final session. There will be a low key approach to the sessions with support for all abilities. Judging from previous years there will also be much fun and laughter as all the trainees will find the enjoyment of getting fit within a group. Last year over 40 newcomers attended the sessions, several of whom joined the club and have enjoyed a years program of  fitness training, races and social events. 

For further information about the course contact Club Secretary Alan Nicholls on 01823 601298 or Coach Jo Lowman on 01404 43013. Or just turn up on 7th May - you never know it might just change your life as it did to several previous course trainees.

Press Release

Kevin Hawker took a early lunch break to run the Stockbridge 7 mile X Country Fun Run near Winchester where he works.

The route took in the beautiful scenery of the Test valley and Clarendon Way. Leaving work at 10:10 for a 10:30 start, Kevin thought a time around 50 minutes would see him back at work OK.

After 2 miles and being in 2nd place, Kevin and the other  lead runners passed a marshal who had not quite got to his point. "Straight up the hill lads", he said. So up and up they went for about three quarters of a mile. At the top were no markers, so after a few minutes searching around five other lost runners emerged out the woods. Back down the hill they all went where the Marshall

had reached his point and was sending other runners the correct way. Once back on route Kevin made his move and passed all the runners who had gone the right way finishing in first place, but time was not recorded due to a stopwatch problem.

After running a mile and half further than expected it is a rest week before The Great West Run next week. As soon as the race finished it was a quick dash back to work and at his desk 90 minutes after starting his lunch break where his work colleagues had a cup of tea waiting for him.

Three  Honiton runners went to North Devon on Sunday for the Arlington Court Canter. On a very hot and humid day and on a very undulating course Paul Davey was pleased to come home in 44:30, for this off road 10k, Anne Ephraums was next home in 61:35, with Tracy Davey finishing  3 seconds behind. A picnic by the lake afterwards made a smashing day.

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Sunday 22 April 2007 dawned with 7 Honiton Club Runners waking up for the challenge of completing the Flora
London Marathon. The meteorologist on the team promised warm weather to the delight of the accompanying  spectators but not to the runners. Sure enough the start was bathed in brilliant sunshine and there was no need for clothes to keep warm but sun tan lotion was in great demand. Safety pins also were in demand and enterprising John Burgess managed to 'sell' some for a donation to his web site.
 
Heather Foundling-Hawker was in the elite ladies group and so was luckily able to start before everyone else when it was a bit cooler. Although Heather had not been well for a couple of weeks she had been cleared by her doctor to give the Marathon a go.

Heather ran through the first 10k in 37.51 but slowed a little to 20k in 77.29 and halfway was reached in a solid 1.21.47. This put Heather in a good position to push on towards the finish. The conditions slowed her pace a little with 41.32 for the third 10k and 45.26 to 40k. Unfortunately she just failed to beat the lead men home being passed in Birdcage Walk just after passing Big Ben. But Heather finished in an excellent time of 2.54.54 as 33rd placed lady and second veteran behind former race winner Liz McColgan who had come out of retirement to taste the atmosphere of the race.

The remaining group of HRC males started 45 mins behind Heather. All suffered delays incurred in the first few miles due to pressure of numbers so 12 minute miles were the order of the day. Roger Saunders maintained a good steady race drinking at almost every mile to combat the heat and managed to keep running to the finish with a time of 3:42. He was spotted on TV to the the surprise of some of his family back in Payhembury. He took pleasure in managing to beat Gordon Ramsay. John Burgess and Nick Thorpe managed to stick together until Tower Bridge and then Nick
took off to finish in 4:06 and John close behind in 4:08. Both were pleased with their times although John was not sure he would do another marathon when questioned afterwards.
There was much anticipation over Pete Ruhen's run having posted 1:42 for a half marathon at Bideford not bad for a 67
year old. After recovering from a tumble on a speed bump in the first mile he became frustrated by the slow progress
in the early miles and so set out to recover his lost time. Unfortunately the accelerated pace and unrelenting heat paid its toll on Pete and he had to resort to walking some of the last 5 miles and had to settle for 4:32.  Andy Guest
despite emigrating to Spain came back to run his deferred place from last year. He apparently had done very little training in Spain and so just ran around at a steady pace for him to enjoy the day in a time of 4:52. Finally Gerald (Gerry) Evans has been up at 6am several days a week training hard for this event and it obviously paid off as he finished in a creditable time of 4:57 which he was well pleased with.

Both John and Roger have raised lots of money for their respective charities, the Devon Air Ambulance and the Alzheimer's Society. Many thanks to all who contributed. 

The hardy band of HRC spectators had an eventful day as the Dockland Light Railway had derailed and so Nick Thorpe's carefully laid plans to ensure they could view the HRC runners at several points were frustrated and many miles were also walked by them!
This does not inspire confidence for the Olympics.

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Easter week saw Honiton runners making the trip to Yeovilton for two races. On Sunday the Easter Bunny 10k saw three Honiton runners on the start line. James Denne continued his progress in local races with a sixth place finish in 33.51 while Paul Davey, in his first race as a veteran, was very surprised and pleased to finish with a pb of 39.26 after finishing a night shift at work. Claire Pomeroy finished in 191st place with a solid time of 48.10.

On Wednesday evening the first race in the Yeovilton 5k series was run. An excellent eleven runners from Honiton took part. James Denne again led the pack with a personal best on the course of 16.01 in 5th place. Newcomer Ian Hatch showed his form in 38th place with 18.29 while Richard Harvey and Paul Davey had their usual battle on the flat course. Richard came out on top this time in 45th with 19.03 while Paul was 51st in 19.15. Roger Saunders ran steadily for 67th in 20.08 while another racing novice Fran Bond ran an excellent 21.41 for 83rd place. Nick Thorpe eased himself around the course in 88th place with 21.55 while Alan Nicholls finished 101st in 23.16. Sarah and Rod Warren ran around together for 111th place in 24.43 while Sandra Thorpe completed the Honiton squad 125th in 26.16.

Next Sunday sees the annual running of the Flora London Marathon and as usual there are several Honiton Running Club members making the trip to the capital. The runners have been training hard for the last few months in the dark and cold of winter on the roads and country and lately in the light and sun.

John Burgess did the FLM in 2005 to mark his retirement from teaching and did 4:30. This time he has managed 500 miles of training since the New Year and has stuck to a training schedule so is aiming for sub 4 hours. But he knows that it is a race of two halves - a 20mile race followed by a 6.2 mile race. John says that “the 6.2 mile bit is the  hardest”. John is running to raise money for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. Three years ago a runner from the Honiton club broke an ankle and had to be air-lifted off a cliff path. So our club is very grateful to have such a marvellous facility in Devon but it only flies because people make donations. People can donate to John’s charity online at www.Justgiving.com/johnburgess
Nick Thorpe will be competing in his third London having “run it badly both times before, approx 4.30 and 4.45 !! Nick was originally hoping for sub 4.00, but training went well for a long time so he was secretly hoping for 3.45/50. However after 3 weeks out with a foot injury Nick has re-adjusted his sights back to sub 4.00 and will be happy with 3.59.59.59 (repeat)
Roger Saunders says “this is my first marathon anywhere but I have done more half marathons than I care to think of. I decided to try and run it now before I get too old! I hope to run around 3:30-3:45. I am hoping to raise a significant sum of money for the Alzeimer's Society. Sadly my mother is now in the later stages of dementia and the Society have been helpful to us in providing information and advice on how to cope and so I would like to continue their good work. As they say 'there will be over a million people in the UK with Dementia by 2025' and so this is a serious problem for the future which needs funds now.” You can donate to Roger’s charity at www.justgiving.com/rogersaunders

Pete Ruhen seems to run the marathon most years and will toe the line again this year. Supervet Pete has had a topsy turvy training route to the start but will probably surprise everyone with another excellent result. Gerry Evans is at last competing in his first marathon after watching it for many years on the television. Training was going well until three weeks ago when he tore a calf muscle on a 22 mile training run but Gerry still thinks that he will be fit enough to be able to get around the course. Andy Guest moved to Spain last year but has been trying to get a place in London for the past 6 years. He was lucky this time so is jetting in to realise his dream of a great time in the capital.

Heather Foundling-Hawker has had a great winter winning many events around the country but has been a little under the weather lately. Heather has missed a lot of training so is going to run a low key race in London taking in the sights and enjoying herself. She plans to use the race as a stepping stone to the 100k Celtic Plate event in Edinburgh on 20th May.

Good luck to all our runners. Have a great time and a great run.

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Two Honiton RC athletes, Kevin Hawker and James Denne chose to make the trip down to Plymouth last Sunday to race in the Plympton Mad March Hare 10K. 247 runners started the race and James took the lead as they left the field and headed out onto the road with Kevin close behind. The first 2K was very flat running into a strong breeze which meant the field soon spread out very quickly. The next stage of the race, between the 2 and 5K markers, saw the runners enduring several short hills before a killer of a long hill where a front three of Denne, Hawker and Quew (Plymouth Harriers) moved away from the rest of the field, with Denne opening up a lead of 15 meters on the other two runners. However the next kilometre was a steep downhill section which seemed to favour Quew as he soon opened up a gap on the trailing two runners. Kevin then caught James and they encouraged each other and worked together to gradually catch the Plymouth athlete, overtake him and build up a sizeable lead. With about a mile to go, Kevin decided to strike for home and gradually pulled away from James and this was the decisive move as he crossed the finish line in a good time of 35.29, with James following closely behind with a time of 35.52. A great result for Kevin and James and also for Honiton Running Club. There are several promising athletes training with the club and the Honiton is looking for better and greater triumphs over the coming months.

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Wet, wet, wet, oh and some strong winds thrown in for good measure. That was the description of Sunday's Bideford Half-Marathon course enjoyed by eight hardy Honiton runners. On the way out, on road, the wind was against the runners pretty much all the way. Although mainly flat there were a few climbs but after the turn for home along the disused railway track of the Tarka Trail it was mainly flat or possibly gently downhill all the way home. Heather Foundling-Hawker was first lady home in a time of 1:19.45 and 20th overall having just rushed down from a GB training session at Loughborough. After surprising himself with a very fast 5.50 first mile Paul Davey was well pleased with his 1:27.07 finish as he has not been training hard this year. The next four Honiton runners are in heavy training for the London Marathon and Bideford literally gave them a rain check on their progress. Roger Saunders finished right on his target of 1.35 while "super vet" Pete Ruhen astonished all by a storming run in a P.B. of 1.40 although his time still has to be ratified by the 'Honiton RC Anti-Doping Panel'. Apparently Pete followed the advice of a local runner who told him "it was all down hill from all the way". A week earlier Pete had been coaxed around a 23 mile training run by the other London Marathoners. Nick Thorpe and John Burgess ran a see-saw race trying to keep at around 8 minute miles and watching Pete disappear into the distance. They finished within 30 seconds of each other on about 1.42. Finally Bruce and Tracey Strawbridge put in times they were very happy with of 1:55 (approx) and 2:20 (approx). Showers, hot drinks and cakes welcomed the runners at the finish.
Meanwhile a new race, the Combe St Nicholas 10 Km, was tested by Leisa Lavender who finished in her habitual third place - beaten by AVR's Eleanor Wood and another runner. The weather was foul but the course was hard and hilly on a varied route on the minor roads around the village. Leisa enjoyed the run but said "It was like running in a windy washing machine".

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