WELCOME TO HONITON RUNNING CLUB

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

Blackdown Beast

Ottery 10K 
2024 results

​Blackdown Beauty

Photos and comments

Honiton Hippo

Date 29th Sept 2024
Parkrun
Report of all HRC runs last Saturday here
Killerton here
Exeter here
​Seaton here
​Exmouth here
​Cranbrook here
Instep Devon Championship
​ Results
Club Charity
​TBD
Honiton Sports Shop
offers members 10% discount upon production of HRC card. Click here 

Honiton Hippo Results 

Hungry Hippo Results 

Hippo Calf Results 
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Studland Stampede
Several Honiton Running Club members took a trip to beautiful Studland Bay, Dorset,  on Sunday, 6th October to take part in the 20th running of the Studland Stampede. This is a 7 ½ mile tough off-road running event that races over heath land and sandy beaches.The route offers stunning views of Old Harry Rocks, Brownsea Island and the Isle of Wight. Runners of all abilities enjoy the race but it does require an amount of determination and grit to get runners through the final tough sandy miles. The race was won by Stuart Nicholas in 48 minutes 47 seconds. Mark Newson was first back for HRC coming 79th in 1 hour 3 minutes. Howard was next back coming 83rd in 1:04 and he was followed by Richard Harvey, who was running the race for the first time, finishing 92nd in 1:05. Steve Davey followed coming 129th in 1:08 and Judy Davey came 160th in 1:11 coming 2nd in her age category. Pippa Westall followed having had a good race coming 177th in 1:13 and Richard Harris completed the HRC line up coming just one minute later in 187th place. There were 425 finishers.
Honiton Hippo
Honiton Running Club held its own Hippo races on Sunday, 29th September. A storm had been forecast  but weather reports had gradually put the storm further back into the day so everyone had their fingers crossed. Thankfully the forecast was right and the races were finished and cleared up before the promised storm hit. Weather conditions were actually very good, with some runners reporting it to be a little too warm!
The races were under new directorship this year, in the form of Tim Wigram and Jennie Sleeman. They managed the team very well which led to successful races. The main race, the Honiton Hippo, is a 7 mile race which promises; mud, sweat and river crossings. There are several significant elevations and the race goes through the Landrover Experience with more than one water feature!
The race was won by  Alex Sparks in 50 minutes 17 seconds from Teignbridge Trotters and the lady winner , also from Teignbridge Trotters, was Chloe Olford in 59:16. Many HRC members were marshalling or otherwise organising but some took the opportunity to race. Ceri Oak was first back for HRC, winning her age category, 5th lady and 23rd overall in 1 hour 7 minutes. Louise Bennett followed 2 places and less than 2 minutes later. Will Davies came 33rd in 1:10, just one second ahead of Tim Pepper. Pippa Westall came 63rd in 1:21. Jacob Haddon was 67th in 1:21, Nick Couch was 88th in 1:33, Graeme Ford came 95th 1:34, Becky Box came 102nd in 1:35, Darren Boswell-Gallagher 113th in 1:38 and Jo Ford completed the line-up to come 130th in 1:54. There were 134 finishers.
The Hungry Hippo race was introduced for the first time this year. This is a 5k race, aimed at anyone over 11 years of age who isn’t quite up to taking on the full Hippo challenge. It’s also aimed at those youngsters who aren’t old enough for the ‘big’ one! The race was won by Yossi Maclure in 18 minutes 2 seconds and he was followed by his brother, Raffi Maclure, 12 seconds later. Imi Clarke won for the females in 22:58 and she was followed by Ann Dearden  who finished in 31:48. There were 21 finishers.
The Hippo Calf, has been running ever since the Hippo races began and this is aimed at juniors over the age of 9. It is 3k and still goes through the muddy Combe Woods. Felix Sullivan won the race in 13:05 and the lady winner was Gracie Macalister who came 13:29 and was 3rd overall. There were 17 finishers.
Many thanks to all the landowners, marshals and other helpers for another great event and especially well done to Tim and Jennie. 
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The Doone Run
On Sunday, 22nd September, 6 Honiton Running Club members travelled to Lynmouth to take part in The Doone Run. This is a technically very challenging 10 mile race running beside the River Lyn before coming back through The Valley of The Rocks. It was pouring with rain before the race began although the rain eased off quite a bit during the race. As soon as the runners finished, it started pouring down again. Apparently, there should be great views but with runners having to constantly look at their feet to avoid falling over on the very stony, muddy, tracks. First back for HRC was Pete Nichols who finished in 36th place in 1 hour 7 minutes. Steve Davey followed in 64th place in 1:48 followed closely by Judy Davey who came 69th in 1:50. Judy found the race very tough going but was delighted to find she won her age category and a bottle of gin! Rachel Hennessey was next back coming 81st in 1:58, delighted to crack the 2 hour barrier and running 2 minutes quicker than last year. Howard Bidmead also found the race a little too technical and took it very carefully. He came 86th in just over the 2 hour mark. Jacob Haddon completed the HRC line-up to come 93rd in 2:06. The winner was Samuel Deller in the great time of 1:07 and there were 131 finishers. 

Warhorse 10
Simon Bates raced the 6th running of the Warhorse10 on Sunday 22nd September. The event that sold out within 3 hours, is run in the countryside that was the inspiration for The Warhorse. It was raining steadily up to the start with a heavy downpour just as the shotgun was fired to start the race. The course was mainly on very quiet open roads with a section through the grounds of Ash House. The undulating course included a climb at around 6km where at the top on a clear day the promised views of both Dartmoor and Exmoor would have been seen. None were visible due to the weather.
The final downhill section came back to the village of Iddesleigh. Simon finished 136th in 1:07:40. He'd definitely recommend the race and would hope for better weather and views another year.
Dalwood 10k
​On Sunday, 21st July, several Honiton Running Club members took the short trip to Dalwood to take part in the Dalwood Fayre 10k race. The race is run on a mixture of quiet country roads, woodland and farm land and the weather was perfect for racing; dry but not too hot.
The race was won by Mat Clist in 40 minutes 45 seconds and HRC’s new member, Matt Hollings, came 3rd overall and first back for Honiton in 46:32. Ceri Oak was first lady back for HRC and 3rd lady overall in 55:07. Mark Dallyn followed just 37 seconds later in 18th place. Richard Harvey had been with Ceri and Mark for most of the race and he came 20th in 56:42.
Other Honiton runners: 24th Mark Newson 57:40, 27th Judy Davey 59:40, 30th Richard Harris 1:01:07, 31st Steve Davey 1:02:41, 32nd Pippa Westall 1:02:58 and Tina Duckitt and Donna Stone, who ran together, came 56th in 1:23:03. There were 60 finishers.
There was also a 3k race on offer and several HRC members, mostly juniors, took par, taking the first 5 places. Yossi Maclure finished in 15:14 followed by his brother, Rafi, in 15:42, Isaac Clarke 18:40, Dan Clarke 18:51 and Ruth Camps 18:53. There were 9 runners.
Thanks to Ruby Red Running and Dalwood Fayre Committee as well as the landowners and marshals, for a great local event. 
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Beer Blazer
​On Sunday, 19th May, Honiton Running Club turned out in force for the Beer Blazer event now in its 12th year. A firm favourite in the running calendar starting at Pecorama in Beer and is truly ‘multi-terrain’. Both the 10mile and 5mile routes pass over some of the famous ‘Grizzly territory’, fields, tracks, cliff tops and open common, the challenging pebble beach between Branscombe and Beer Head, and the stairway to heaven, all with breath-taking views. The 5km stays high enjoying the Jurassic Coastline.
In the 5km race 2nd and 3rd place went to brothers Yossi and Rafi Maclure a great run of 26.50 and 27.07 respectively, showing HRC Juniors in their true light. Well done boys.
Taking to the trails for the first time after the completion of their 10km course with HRC 7 new members enjoyed their 5km run. Donna Pike 45.28, Jan Carnell 46.00, Sue Hirst 46.08, Donna Hickmott 47.35, Karen Dignam and Christy Wool ran together crossing the line in 51.50 and Lisa Chaplin- Cook in 56.07.
The 5 mile route was a little challenging with the beach section, new club runners Paula Fenegan 1.20.34 and Clare Mountford 1.31.31 enjoyed the challenge. Paula Ferris, Sue Offer-hoar, Louise Bennett and Angela Foster completed the line up in 1.32.44
The 10 mile route was tackled by Johnny Bennett having a great run finishing 12th from a field of 114 runners in a time of 1.34
A well organised and friendly run, aiming to help Beer Primary School and their PTFA.
 
East Devon Round
​On a chilly, misty Saturday morning, 4th May, the East Devon Round was started by Darth Vader with best wishes to the runners of, ‘May the fourth be with you’. The East Devon Round began as an Ultra Marathon and was the brainchild of Honiton Running Club’s, Alasdair Moffett. It began as a family affair with a few helpers but the event has grown and Alasdair has been joined by Tim Wigram and family. Several other families have become heavily involved in organisation and the event is now run by Ruby Red Running with Alasdair and Tim at the helm. There are now 5 different distances on offer.
The full EDR has also grown from about 62 miles in distance to 68 miles, and that is if runners don’t go wrong! The events are marked with tape and arrows but runners are also expected to self -navigate at times. The full event boasts 10,000 feet of elevation, 9 Aid stations, 3 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 1 World Heritage Site. Feed station volunteers offer encouragement and support which is almost as important as the food and drink! As the name suggests the run is mainly in East Devon but also ventures out into Lyme Regis in Dorset. Of course, all of the distances boast spectacular views across the East Devon countryside and every imaginable terrain is used.
The full Round and the Half Round began at 5.30am with the Half Round finishing at Blackbury Camp. The full event finished where it started, at Offwell Village Hall. 39 runners began the very tough full route and it became quite hot during the day which made it even more challenging. Of the runners that started, 23 managed to complete the full route and it was won by Justin Mongague in 12 hours 33 minutes. The first lady was his wife, Melissa, who finished in 15:58. Honiton Running Club’s Anna Drake was 14th overall and 3rd lady home in 17:40. Gareth Henwood and EDR organiser, Tim Wigram,  were next back for HRC as they had run together. They finished 16th in 18:58. Once runners get to Weston, after completing over 50 miles, there are still about 17 miles to go although it is only about 6 miles back to Offwell if the most direct route is picked. A couple of  years ago, one of the runners picked this route back and the short cut has been named as the Tim Howarth run. HRC’s Rebecca Stevens decided at Weston that this would be the option for her as she had suffered from stomach problems for many miles. She was pleased to complete her run to finish in Offwell. She has vowed that she will be back to complete the full distance next year.
The Half route was won by Carla Tunnicliffe in 6:35 and HRC’s Nick Couch finished 4th in 7:36, delighted with his run. There were 28 finishers.  The ‘Other Half’ is an option for invited runners only. It is offered to those who have run the route from Offwell to Blackbury Camp before. The race begins at Blackbury Camp and finishes in Offwell. This was won by Robert Leonard in 6:13. HRC’s Mark Dallyn and Clare Melbourne finished together in 3rd place in 7:05 with Clare taking the first lady spot. There were 7 finishers.
Another option on offer is the EDR Quarter which is about 17 miles in length beginning at Blackbury Camp and going a completely different route but still finishing in Offwell. This was won by Anthony Hatchard in 2:25. HRC runners were: 9th Rachel Hennessey 3:15, 15th Lily Purchase & Lizzie Lanning 3:42, 18th Claire Staniforth 3:44 and running together 20th Victoria Henwood, Tina Duckitt, Donna Stone, Emily Yap and Emily Williams 4:55. There were24 finishers.
A huge thanks to Ruby Red Running and all the many volunteers who helped in so many different ways. Also, thanks to the sponsors and landowners whose land was used. Money raised go to the local causes, associated with the volunteers,  as well as a couple of national charities. 
Ottery 10k
A huge well done to everyone who completed the Ottery 10k.
Provisional results here.
Please email [email protected] if you see any errors. Thank you.
​On 12th May, on the first very hot Sunday of 2024, a record number of runners took part in Honiton Running Club’s Ottery 10k. It was lovely to see the sun but it was probably a little too hot for the runners. This is a very popular road race based at the Cricket Club in Ottery St Mary. The race limit was 300 and there were several disappointed potential runners as the race filled up very quickly. Local running legend, Jo Pavey, started the race and then jogged around the route finishing in a time that most runners would be very proud of. 297 finishers crossed the line and the race was won by Oliver White of Exmouth Harriers in the great time of 34 minutes 33 seconds. The lady winner was Ellie Dominey who finished in 40:10. Ashley Dawkins was the first to cross the line for Honiton coming 16th in 42:12. First HRC lady to finish was Suzanne Spiller who came 73rd in 48:34. She came in 4 places and 16 seconds behind her son, Max. Many HRC members were busy behind the scenes, helping organise the race but many were able to take part. HRC Chair, Paula Ferris, has been running a weekly programme for runners wanting to progress from 5k to 10k distance and the aim for many was to complete the Ottery 10k. Most of the group did take part running the full distance of 10k for the first time. Some of the full HRC members ran with the group as supporters.
Other HRC runners: 22nd Johnny Bennett 42:49, 85th Richard Harvey 49:48, 113rd Steve Davey 52:46, 128th Mike Smith 54:06, 138th Mark Dallyn 54:54, 147th Andrew Palmer 56:22, 177th Tammy Lane 58:55, 201st Chaimaa Dawkins 1:03:03, 223rd Luke Holway and Wayne Trump 1:07:38, 234th Kathy Layzell 1:08:44, 249th Tina Duckitt 1:11:15, 253rd Claire Staniforth 1:12:22, 271st Martin Potter and Jo Crossley 1:17:13, 284th Angela Foster 1:22:36, 285th Christy Wool 1:22:39 and 288th Sarah Walker 1:25:52.
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Cocking 10k
Despite the temptation of the local East Devon Round,  Honiton Running Club’s Jennie Sleeman headed off to Sussex to join Howard Bidmead’s old club for a lovely 10K trail race round the Cowdrey estate on 5 th May. She took part in the Cocking 10k and the Race Director was Nick Thorpe, ex HRC and one of the founders of Honiton’s Hippo. With over 800 feet of climbing through woods and fields, runners were rewarded with sunny views over the South Downs. It was a beautiful run, with some mud and tree roots to negotiate. Jennie came 121 st out of 207 runners – and the oldest female – in 1:01:47. The winners were Julian Manning in 39:20 and Lindsay Deslauriers in 47:48.
Exe to Axe
Sunday, 7th April saw a blustery start to the day with Honiton Running Club members catching the bus from Seaton to the start of the race at Exmouth. A well organised event by Sidmouth RC gave runners shelter to wait before braving the slightly extended 22 mile course along the East Devon scenic coast line. First main checkpoint after Exmouth is Budleigh before the climb to Peak Hill and into Sidmouth  before moving  onto the harder cliff sections to Branscombe and Beer before completing at Seaton. A total of 8 HRC runners took part on what was a dry and mild day but not underfoot with varying depths of mud, frustrated at times by erratic and sometimes wild gusts of wind along the cliffs.  First back for Honiton was Ben Stone who’d already ran 20 miles just prior the race. He finished at just over 4 hours followed by Stephen Boyes taking a medal for first over 60 Male finishing in 4:13 with Nick Couch, who is in great form, finishing 2 places behind.  Tim Wigram and Mark Newson were next followed by Rebecca Stevens seemingly getting stronger finishing in 4:51.  Jake Heath, his first significant run after a 100 mile trail event, Mark Dallyn and Andrew Foster  completing the HRC line-up a few minutes later. The Winner Matt Clyst of Axe Valley Runners completed just under the 3hrs and there were 188 finishers.

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Powderham Power Run
​On Saturday, 6th April, several Honiton Runners decided to run a bit further than the usual Saturday morning parkrun 5K. The Powderham Power Run is a 5 and 10 mile run around the gardens and fields close to the castle. The strong winds from Storm Kathleen threatened to cancel the event but it went ahead. The 5 Mile race it was won by Henry Irvine of Dawlish Coaster in 30 minutes 47 seconds. Mother and daughter, Donna and Jasmine Stone, ran together and finished in a time of 50:53 followed closely by Roger Saunders in 51:58 who struggled on the initial hill up to the Belvedere Tower. Tina Duckitt ran the 10 mile race which was 2 loops of the 5 mile route, which must have been a real challenge, and came in in a time of 2:11:07. The winner for the 10 mile race was Ben Neal in a time of 1:02:10.
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Couch 2 5k Report
On Monday the 8th of January 2024, 32 new runners gathered on a dark snowy evening all excited, nervous and motivated to embark on starting their Couch to 5k journey, hosted by Honiton Running Club.

The course is designed to help anyone wishing to start running safely and effectively, returnees from injury or rehabilitation and also those getting back into their running fitness from having a break and to build confidence.

The course was led by Paula Ferris, a Level 2 running coach and her team of over 15 leaders and helpers, which is paramount to ensure the safe delivery of the course.  Each week runners learned how to warm up safely, run efficiently with techniques on stride length, position, posture and breathing. Every week the course followed the couch to 5K app designed by the NHS and this would ensure runners ran twice on their own and once in a group to improve confidence, fitness, endurance and stamina. The group was very social, welcoming, and supportive creating solid friendships over the 8 weeks.
The course was a huge success with a grand finale park run at Seaton on March the 2nd and March the 9th. All finishers received a wooden medal and huge respect from the whole club.
The course was a tremendous success with a 72% pass rate and completion of course.

To build and continue their success the opportunity to join the 5 to 10Km, 7 week running course is the next challenge, designed to enable runners to reach their 10km potential at the Ottery 10K event in May.

Honiton running club welcomes all new members and design club running sessions each week which accommodate runners of all levels, speed and pace. We strive to serve the community and improve health in a social, fun and structured way.
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Dalwood 3 Hills
On Sunday, 18th February the local Dalwood 3 Hills race returned after a 3 year absence. The weather, during the lead up to the event, had been extremely wet and this meant a last minute re-route to the main race. The rivers were taken out, as they were deemed too dangerous, which also meant that one of the hills went too. However, this did not disappoint runners as there were still 3 hills as the original race actually boasts 4 hills despite the name! The new course was still extremely slippery and muddy meaning lots of runners slipped over and finishing times were slower than they would have been had there been drier conditions. The original route would have measured approximately 10 miles but the diversion meant it was only 9.3 miles.
Sam Kelly won the race in a time of 1 hour 4 minutes and 1st Honiton Running Club member back was Jordan Brigden in 1:29 in 30th place. Johnny Bennett and Nick Couch followed coming 32nd and 34th in 1:30. Pete Nicholls was the next HRC runner coming 44th in 1:33. There followed a bit of gap of HRC runners but Stephen Boyes finished in 66th place in 1:41. Julian Gigg and Richard Harvey had begun the race trying to out run each other but with about 2 miles to the finish, they decided they may as well stick together and they finished 72nd and 73rd respectively in 1:43. Judy Davey was 1st HRC lady back coming 88th in 1:48. Rachel Hennessey was next back coming 117th in 2:01. Claire Staniforth and Darren Boswell-Carter ran together and finished 159th in 2:28. There were 167 finishers.
Also on offer, for the first time, was the Dalwood Dash which was a race of about 6k. This was won by Rossi Wayne in 34:20 and HRC’s Yossi Maclure came 2nd just 2 seconds later. Rafi Maclure came 4th in 34:57 and 1st female back for HRC was Mia Wills who came 7th in 39:22. Siblings Imi and Isaac Clarke came in together in 9th place in 42:01. Jenny Rawlins and Kate Clarke came 21st in 56:44 and Sean Wills completed the HRC line-up coming 24th in 59:34. There were 30 finishers.
These were great events organised by Alasdair Moffett and Tim Wigram with a number of helpers and despite the conditions, thoroughly enjoyed by competitors.
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​Local Running Club increases their awareness of defibrillators in town.
Honiton Running Club had a specific training evening in mind on Wednesday the 31st of Jan. This was to increase their awareness of all the local AED / Defibrillators located in Honiton. The club had recently replaced their own Defibrillator at the end of 2023 keeping in line with health and safety as a club.
Paula Ferris Chair of HRC and also a Cardiac rehabilitation exercise specialist organised a special club run to increase all club members’ awareness of defibrillators. There are over 20+ locations in Honiton where defibs can be accessed by the public, which is amazing and could make all the difference in saving a persons life, with quick reactions and knowledge of where they are, we all know time is of the essence.
With around 30,000 people each year suffering a sudden cardiac arrest it is imperative that we know where the nearest AED / Defib is held.  A cardiac arrest can affect anyone at any time, from young children at school, to adults when they’re at home, work or out in public places. The statistics from the British Heart Foundation show that if a defibrillator is used within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, survival rates jump from 6 per cent to 74 percent so the importance of knowing where they are is crucial.
We are very lucky as a small town to have so many available in local community places, leisure centres, shops and on our high street.
Knowledge is power and speed is paramount. Maybe you know where a few of them are and you can spot them on your walk around town.
Paula E J Ferris
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First Chance 10k & Axmouth Challenge
After weeks of grey wet weather the First Chance 10K based at Exeter Quay started in glorious if cold sunshine. The route was different from previous years due to work being carried out on the canal affecting the path.There was a big field of 582 runners finishing with first  male Ben Neale from Tavistock AC in 31:57 and first female Alice Kelly from Exmouth Harriers in 36:11. Four from Honiton Running Club enjoyed a run in the sun, Jay Sweetman finished in 47:30 well within his target of 50 mins, Roger Saunders came home in 52:59 which he was pleased with after his exertions the previous day, Liam Bloomfield in 58:09 and Deborah Vinnicombe in just over the hour in 1:00:43. Thanks go to Clare Melbourne and Steve Selley for their support. 

On Sunday, 14th January, Several Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Axmouth to take part in the Axmouth Challenge. There were 4 different distances on offer, all involving a sapping steep hill start and all being a mixture of road and off road! The longest distance was the 9 mile Challenge and this was won by Wayne Loveridge in 54 minutes. Hadleigh Davies and Judy Davey had changed positions several times during the race but Hadleigh eventually led HRC runners home to come 47th in 1 hour 20. Judy finished 52nd in 1:21. Darren Boswell-Gallagher and Claire Staniforth ran the race together finishing 102nd in 1:42. There were 116 finishers which is almost twice the number of 2023.
 
Next was the 5 mile event which was the same route as the first few miles of the 9 miler. This was won by Simon Dimmock in 42 minutes 22 seconds. HRC’s Becky Taviner was 2nd lady home coming 5th overall in 47:29. Howard Bidmead followed just one place and 20 seconds later and he was followed one place later by Paula Ferris who was 2nd lady overall finishing in 51:42. Donna Stone came 9th in 54:10 and Steve George came 15th in 1:01:57 having opted for the shorter route mid run due to recent injury. Helen Williams came 26th in 1:12:25, Tina Duckitt 27th in 1:13:02 and Victoria Henwood 28th in 1:15:22. There were 28 finishers.
 
No-one from HRC took on the 3 mile event but the Davies children tried the one mile race. Zac and William finished together coming 20th in 26:26 closely followed by Olivia being pushed in her buggy by her Mum, Bernice. They finished in 27:33. Top effort pushing the buggy and child up the very steep start! There were 25 finishers and the race was won by Eli Emmett in 8:59.
 

This Week from

Club Calendar

Week beginning 
7 Oct 2024
Mon-Wed nights meet at 6:30pm unless ​advised below. If you need a lift just ask on FB or email. Please everybody wear high vis. Please car share if you can.
​Mon 7 Oct - Jennie's Predicta Run 
Meet at Lace Walk Car Park - 6.30pm -High Vis and torch needed. 
Tuesday 8 Oct - Kev's speed training
Contact Kev for details.
Wed 9 Oct - Paula's Strength and Conditioning Session
Meet at Lace Walk Car Park - 6.30pm  
Saturday: ​Parkruns
Killerton Parkrun at 9am
​Cranbrook Parkrun at 9am
Exeter Parkrun at 9am
​Seaton Parkrun at 9am
Exmouth Parkrun at 9am. 
Haldon Forest Parkrun at 9am

Maps here

Club Kit Page

Order Form for kit here
Page Editors
Judy, Roger