Press Releases 2017

Press Releases 2017
Otterton Reindeer Run
On Saturday, 2nd December several Honiton Running Club members took part in the Otterton Reindeer Run. This is a mainly off road 10k route and with many runners wearing Santa outfits or dressed as elves, it is a very festive affair. Ben Stone was first back for HRC coming 3rd overall in 38 minutes 27 seconds after taking several wrong turns. Rod Inglis was next back coming 20th male in 43:15 followed closely by Mark Newson who came 23rd in 43:41. The final male runner was Sam Pollard who came 38th in 48:18. Emilie Tones was first lady back for HRC and 6th lady overall. She finished in 47:54 and was followed by Paula Ferris who was 11th lady in 51:18. Asilah Jarrald was 49th in 60:06, Clare Melbourne and Janice Newson ran together coming 62nd in 62:55. Once the runners had finished the festive theme continued with runners being treated to a cup of mulled wine and a mince pie served in a souvenir mug.

Full Monty Cute
The Full Monty Cute 10 mile off road race took place last Sunday. The base is at Ham Hill in Somerset and is organised by Crewkerne Running Club. It is a very tough race which boasts 10 hills including a couple that offer runners assistance with strategically placed ropes to pull yourself up with. Richard Harris completed it in 1 hour 36 minutes coming 85th and Pippa finished in 1:47 coming 136th. They were both pleased with their times as they have not been able to do much training recently. The race was won by Philip Bridge in 1:07 and 257 runners completed the race.

Bicton Blister & Bicton Lite
Bicton College was the venue for the Bicton Blister and Lite races last Sunday and on a cold frosty day several Honiton Running Club members took part. The Blister is a 10 mile multi-terrain race mainly on Woodbury Common. The races are very popular and for the first time ever there were no entries accepted on the day as it was full. The later start of 11am meant that it wasn’t quite as cold as runners had first feared and the ground was muddy in places rather than hard with frost. Jim Cole won the race in the brilliant but frustrating time of 1 hour and 1 second. First back for HRC was Ben Stone who came a fantastic 8th place in 1:05. Gavin Rice followed coming 80th in 1:19:17 with Steve Davey hot on his heels coming 1 place and 6 seconds later. Steve Selley was next back coming 87th in 1:19:56 followed by Mark Dallyn 89th in 1:20:21. Richard Harvey followed soon after coming 96th in 1:20:43. Judy Davey led the HRC ladies home to come 126th in 1:23:48 and winning her age category. Howard Bidmead followed coming 137th in 1:24:18 also winning a trophy for 2nd in his age category. Next in was Roger Saunders who came 146th in 1:25:21. Jo Davey came 152nd in 1:26:11 and Jennie Sleeman came 239th in 1:35:40 coming 2nd in her category. Rebecca Stevens, 246th in 1:36:37, was followed by Kathy Layzell who came 326th in 1:45:22. Completing the HRC line-up was Pip Vanham who came 376th in 1:52:49. There were 439 finishers.
Also on offer was the Blister’s little brother, the Bicton Lite. This starts at the same time as the Blister and begins on the same route. At 13, Jasmine Stone is too young for the Blister so took on the Lite. This she did in great style coming 3rd lady in 36:15 and 12th place overall. The winner was Ben Sheridan who finished in 31:38. There were 140 finishers.

Bideford 10 miles & Drogo 10
Nine Honiton Running Club members took themselves off to Bideford, North Devon for a chilly, windy but dry race on Sunday, 5th November. The race was the final one in a series of 3 (the half Marathon & 10k being the other two) and if runners got all three medals they inter link to make one. Some of the members were at Bideford for the 3rd time this year and for others it was the only time. With nearly 1000 runners it was busy but as normal very well organised. The route goes towards Barnstaple for 5 miles until getting to Yelland where runners join the flat Tarka Trail back to Bideford. First back for Honiton was Vernon Gillard in 1 hour 13 minutes and 53 seconds with Carl Harrison just 4 seconds later. Next back was Tony Peek who was really pleased with his time, starting right at the back and picking runners off along the route he finished in 1.21.46 with Jennie Sleeman being the 1st HRC lady back in 1.23.08. Other HRC runners: Duncan Driver 1.30.05, Claire Rouse 1.30.14, Kathy Layzell 1.30.16, Pip Vanham 1.36.54 & Rachel Mandrupson in 1.46.57 who was pleased to finish after being injured for the last couple of months but nothing was going to stop her getting her 3rd bit of bling. 1st male to finish was Shaun Antell in 51.59 and 1st female was Hannah Taunton in 1.00.34. A great race with lovely views along the Tarka Trail and support on route. HRC will be back next year.

Last Sunday, several HRC members took on the off road Drogo 10 mile race. The base is in the grounds of Castle Drogo and the route goes out to Fingle Bridge when runners tackle the first of two hills giving views over the Teign Valley when the top is eventually reached. On the way back the route follows the River Teign for 2 miles before going up the infamous Hunter’s Path. First back for HRC was Alasdair Moffet in 57th place in the fantastic time of 1 hour 19 minutes. Rod Inglis followed just 2 places later in 1:20. Mark Newson finished 73rd in 1:23 with Steve Davey not too far behind in 1:24. Steve Selley finished 115th in 1:26. Jo Davey was the first lady back for Honiton coming 135th in 1:28. Last year, Jo’s mum Judy beat her by 10 seconds but this year the roles were reversed with Judy coming in just 11 seconds after Jo. New HRC runner, Rebecca Stevens had a great run coming 230th in 1:40 with Anne Carter following closely coming 235th in 1:41. Clare Melbourne was next back coming 321st in 1:53 and then Janice Newson 333rd in 1:55. There were 396 finishers and the race was won by Tom Merson in 58 minutes.

Templer 10
Last Sunday saw 3 Honiton Running Club members take on the Templer 10 multi terrain 10-mile race starting and finishing in the wonderful grounds of Stover School, Newton Abbot. The course is 90% off road and runners have the pleasure of running through the picturesque Stover Country Park as well as the fields at Teigngrace. The weather was cool but ideal for running despite some head winds at times. The course was flat in comparison to many of the off road runs HRC are used to but slippery fields after the previous night’s heavy rain in the early part of the race took their toll. At the finish runners were given a well-earned cup of tea using the finishers’ mug memento. The race was won by Brennan Townshend in 57 minutes 22 seconds. First back for Honiton in fantastic 9th position in 1:04:11 was Ben Stone. He was followed by Mark Newson who came 54th in 1:15:28 followed soon after by Mark Dallyn who finished 71st in 1:17:45. Fantastic times for all 3. There were 270 finishers.

Great South Run & Exmoor Trail Running
On Sunday, 22nd October, Roger Saunders, Bridget Taviner and Claire Rouse travelled to the south coast to do the Great South Run which is a 10 mile run that takes in Old Portsmouth, the Dockyard, and multiple passes along the sea front with the last 2 miles into the wind. Roger had somehow missed the fact that there 20,000 other runners in the race and so found he was not able to stretch his legs for the first 5 miles but still managed to finish in 1:18:13. Claire really enjoyed the route and finished in a very respectable time of 1:34:10. This was Bridget's first long race and was pleased to finish in a time of 1:45:07 and really enjoyed the route. The race was won by Chris Thompson in a time of 00:48:32.

Honiton runners Mark Dallyn and Howard Bidmead travelled to the Exmoor coast in North Devon last Sunday to take part in the Exmoor trail running events. Mark tackled the half marathon and Howard the 10k. This was pure trail running with both distances starting in the Doone valley before ascending the longest climb on Exmoor of nearly 3 miles. The runners were met with a variety of weather conditions from sun, drizzle and a chilly wind once at the top of the moor. At the top stunning views across the Severn estuary towards South Wales made the strenuous Climb worth the effort.From here Howard descended back towards the finish area and crossed the line in 59m 58s to finish first in his age group. Mark continued on the longer route where the race took in the South West Coast path. Mark enjoyed his run and took some amazing photographs. He finished in 2hr. 33m.

Exmoor Stagger and Stumble
Seven Honiton Running Club members took the trip to Minehead last Sunday to take part in the 20th anniversary of the Exmoor Stagger or Stumble. Storm Brian was still prevalent albeit just his tail. It didn’t feel like that as runners got closer to the highest point in Somerset, Dunkery Beacon. The rain was lashing and Brian seemed to be blowing his hardest. However, the weather could have been worse with sun actually coming out in the breaks of the showers. The race is 16 miles long with an ascent of over 3600 feet. The race was won by James Baker in 1 hour 54 minutes. Alasdair Moffett was the first back for HRC coming 46th in 2:28. Steve Davey was next back having followed Richard Harris for most of the race overtaking him in the latter stages. Steve came 72nd in 2:39 and Richard came 81st in 2:45. Judy Davey was the first HRC lady back coming 88th in 2:47 and winning a trophy as a category prize. Mark Dallyn had run with Judy for most of the race and came 92nd in 2:49.Pippa Westall was delighted to finish under 3 hours coming 116th in 2:58. There were 202 finishers. Howard Bidmead is beginning to know his limits and tackled the shorter Stumble. This race is 10k and boasts an ascent of over 1000 feet. Both races boast glorious views over Minehead. The race was won by Ben Tull in 40 minutes 12 seconds and Howard came 22nd in 54 minutes. He came 2nd in his age category and there were 97 finishers.

Great West Run, Mrs E's Big Wheeze and Studland Stampede
Honiton Running Club members were definitely out in force last Sunday travelling to at least 3 different venues.Wherever they went the runners were treated to ideal weather conditions. First was Exeter’s Great West Run which saw 27 members taking part. There were many highs and lows with several members achieving personal best times and others just missing out on their target time and some racing for HRC for the first time. First home was Kevin Hawker who came 31st in a fantastic time of 1:20. Adam Hennessey finished in 1:27 and was delighted as was Steve Selley who finished in 1:36. Judy Davey and Emilie Tones had lined up at the start together and although they saw little of each other during the race, they finished with a battle for the line with Judy crossing it first but Emilie being given 1 second faster chip time. Judy was delighted to find out that this was good enough for her age category prize. Both finished in 1:41 which was a great pb for Emilie.
Other results: Carl Harrison 1:42, Stuart Turnham 1:46, Paula Ferris 1:46, Darren Roberts 1:48, Tony Peek 1:51, Jennie Sleeman 1:51, Andy Ashford 1:53, Lin Pike 2:00, Wendy McDermott 2:02, Rachel Hennessey 2:02, Charlotte McKechnie 2:03, Lex Turnham 2:03, Peter Bishop 2:05, Claire Rouse 2:09, Duncan Driver 2:09, Hannah Kelly 2:12, Claire Staniforth 2:12, Debbie Vinnicombe 2:17, Kate Harding 2:17, Katherine Tomkins 2:18, Dawn Peek 2:21 and Onreuthai Lush 2:23. Thanks to all the HRC supporters en route but special thanks to Tony Peek who has organised a training programme helping others achieve their goals and also for organising and driving the mini bus.
Five HRC runners took part in Mrs E’s Big Wheeze based in Uplyme. This is a 10k multi-terrain run which begins with a mile long hill. The race was won by 15 year old Chet Gillespie of Axe Valley Runners in 40:33. Ben Stone came 3rd overall in 41:41 with Rod Inglis next back for HRC coming 6th in 46:15. Steve Davey came 9th in 48:44 and his daughter Jo came 20th and 5th lady in 54:26. Kathy Layzell completed Honiton’s line-up to come 33rd in 1:02:41. There were 46 finishers. This race was the last in the East Devon Race Series for 2017 organised by Axe Valley Runners which saw HRC as the overall team winner. The first two places were taken by AVR runners Eleanor Wood and Matt Clist with Honiton’s Rod Inglis coming 3rd. Thank you for a very well organised run with enthusiastic marshals and organisers.
Another event was the Studland Stampede. A 12k run starting and finishing on Studland Beach in Dorset. Nine club members travelled down for this stunning scenic run on Studland Heath with its hills and fabulous views across Poole Harbour. As soon as the run started Mark Newson led the way. He had a fine run finishing 63rd in 58.25. Howard Bidmead caught Roger Saunders around 2k and then ran with Richard Harris for most of the rest of the race. With 3k to go the sand dunes started to sap the energy and the 2k run along the beach to the finish is never ending. It was here that Howard was glad to finish as Richard had pushed all the way and finished just behind. Howard was 82nd in 1.00.17s and Richard 84th in 1.00.24. Next home was Roger Saunders finishing 92nd in 1.01.19. Pippa Westall was the first of the Honiton ladies and had a fabulous run which she was rightly proud of. She finished 127th in 1.04.39. Janice Newson was next finishing 308th in 1.17.46. Other Honiton finishers. Anne Carter 382nd in 1.25.41. Asilah Jarrald 383rd in 1.25.42 and Teresa Pollard 394th in 1.28.24.There were 441 finishers and the race was won by Craig Palmer from Littledown Harriers in 44.47s.

Minster Challenge
Axe Valley Community College’s Minster Challenge took place last Sunday with runners thinner on the ground than in previous years. This is a tough 7 ½ mile mainly off road run through the countryside around Axminster. The going was very muddy following heavy rainfall in the preceding week. James Denne won the race in 47 minutes 53 seconds and Ben Stone was the first runner back for Honiton Running Club in 7th place in 54:10. Rod Inglis was next back having driven to Axmouth before the race thinking the base was there! He came 13th in 1:00:05 and although Steve Davey was only one place later he was over 4 minutes behind finishing in 1:04:23 using the excuse that he turned his ankle over during the race stopping him in his tracks for a few seconds. First HRC lady back was Judy Davey who had overtaken daughter Jo as she stopped to remove a thorn from her toe. Judy came 19th in 1:08:39 with Jo finishing just 10 seconds later. There were 35 finishers.
HRC’s Jasmine and Harri Stone took part in the 3k race. Jasmine did brilliantly to finish 2nd overall and 1st female in 22:40. Harri was not too far behind coming 9th in 28:11. The winner was Daniel Rowe who finished in 21:30 and there were 20 finishers.

Stockland Scamper, Windsor Parks Half Marathon and Killerton 10k
Several Honiton Running Club members took part in the local Stockland Scamper organised by Stockland Primary School PTFA with the help of Axe Valley Runners. It turned out that it was a never to be forgotten race for those who took part. Unbeknown to the lead runners they had disturbed a hornets’ nest about a mile from the finish. This was in a very narrow lane and depriving the hornets of a Sunday lie-in meant they were not just angry, they were livid! First of all they stung the odd runner before coming into the middle of the lane as a swarm. Runners were upon them before they knew what was happening and all they could do was run through them as fast as they could. Most runners fell victim to at least one sting and many suffered multiple stings. Matt Clist won the race in 39 minutes 40 seconds and the first HRC runner back was Adam Hennessey who came 9th in 45:30. Nick Silkstone followed in 11th place in 46:41 and Rod Inglis came in 21st place in 50:12 with Steve Davey coming one place later in 52:13. Roger Saunders had a great run winning his age category to come 27th in 54:15. First Honiton lady was Jo Davey who came 29th overall and 4th lady in 55:52 just ahead of her mum Judy who came 32nd in 56:39. Tim Wigram came 38th in 58:35. Stockland’s principal, David Perkins, was dressed as Batman following a raffle amongst the primary school’s children to decide what David would be dressed as. David did extremely well feeling very hot under his costume although it did act as pretty good protection against the hornets getting away with just one sting. Paula Ferris was 45th in 1:01:37 and Charlotte McKenzie 53rd in 1:07:49. Asilah Jarrald, Mandy Ward and Rachael Hennessey finished together in 57th place and 1:09:55. The final HRC runner was fairly new member Pip Vanham 63rd in 1:13:14. There were 67 finishers. Runners were treated to a well-deserved slice of chocolate brownie on their return. Thank you to chief organiser Emma Parris who had a very stressful time dealing with the hornet casualties on top of the usual race organisation. Thanks also to the marshals and landowners for what, despite the hornets, was another fantastic event. Definitely a race with a sting in the tail!
Meanwhile Emilie Tones took part in the Windsor Parks Half Marathon as part of her training for the Great West Run. She had a fantastic race to finish in 1 hour 44 minutes finding it sunny and hot.
Six HRC ladies took part in a very hilly and tough 10k around the beautiful gardens and woods of the National Trust at Killerton. With so many people taking part different groups were set off in waves so there was no telling who had won until the very end. 1st back for Honiton was Geri Terry in 1 hour 10 minutes. Anna Dalzell was next in a good time of 1:14, followed by Debbie Vinnicombe in 1:15. Next back was Kate Harding who only joined HRC in January as one of the beginners in a time of 1:18. Dawn Peek finished in 1:22 with Rachel Mandrupson close on her heels in 1:23. With 1140 ft of climb, the hills were so steep the ladies were almost all walking them! The overall winner was Ynon Gablinger in 41.26.

Jurassic Coast 10k & Lustleigh 10k
Honiton Running Club’s Kathy Layzell and Rachel Hennessey took part in the Jurassic Coast 10k on 26th August which starts and finishes in Budleigh Salterton. Rachel came 146th and finished in 1 hour 22 seconds with Kathy finishing in 1 hr 5 minutes and 186th place. They found it very congested for the first mile and then the heat had an effect on them both meaning that they were 5mins slower than last year! The race was won by David Bruce in 35:32 and there were 290 finishers.
Seven HRC runners completed the beautiful Lustleigh 10k on Bank Holiday Monday which was held as part of the Lustleigh Village Show in its 130th Year. Runners not only had the hills of Dartmoor to contend with but the race started at midday with the hot Bank Holiday weather adding to the tough challenge. First home for Honiton in 3rd place overall was Kevin Hawker in 40:28 managing to make his way through the field after a slow start. Next home in 11th place was Alasdair Moffett in 46:18 after a hard week of training for his upcoming ultra-run. Next came Mark Newson 28th place in 49:33 having had a great run, then in 49th place was Mark Dallyn who was pleased with his run in a good time of 53:34, 78th place saw Esme Moffett in her first race for a while in 1:00:06. Anne Carter came 113th and enjoyed the race finishing in 1:07:04 and Janice Newson 1:12:41 who said it was more like torture than a race in 132nd Place. The men’s team has a fantastic result winning the team prize beating Torbay Athletic Club which was some achievement. Kevin was also pleased to restock the wine rack for his wife Wendy with the prizes won. After the race and a quick wipe down the Village Show could be enjoyed with lots of activities taking place; one for the calendar next year.

Race the Train
Seven Honiton Running Club members took the long journey to Tywyn in mid Wales to take part in the Rotary Club’s Race the Train event. There were several races to choose from but all the HRC members took on the main 14 mile race. The race starts with the whistle of the train as it leaves the station and goes out to the end of the railway line where the train turns around and returns whilst runners follow a slightly different route back to the one they ran out on. Following torrential rain during the night, there were rumours on social media that the train and/or the race may have to be cancelled but luckily this was unfounded. However, it did mean that the terrain was particularly challenging with more mud than the race has ever seen which made climbing half way up a mountain even harder. The event has the reputation of always having rain on the day and with a quick rain shower mid race this was not disproved although the conditions were mainly ideal with a cooling breeze for much of it. The train took 1 hour 47 minutes and unfortunately all HRC runners took a little longer! Mark Newson finished 217th in 1:58 with Steve Davey not too far behind in 226th in 1:59. Judy Davey came 325th in 2:07 managing 2nd in her age category. Judy had a battle for positions for the first 6 miles with Howard Bidmead but pulled away after that point. Howard came 484th in 2:19. Clare Melbourne and Janice Newson ran together to finish 696th in 2:43. Clare loves a good Park Run and couldn’t miss the opportunity to run the Aberystwyth one even though she knew she was doing 14 miles later in the day. Her partner Jay Sweetman, who is nursing an injury came 751st in 2:54. There were 830 finishers.

Seven Honiton Running Club members took the long journey to Tywyn in mid Wales to take part in the Rotary Club’s Race the Train event. There were several races to choose from but all the HRC members took on the main 14 mile race. The race starts with the whistle of the train as it leaves the station and goes out to the end of the railway line where the train turns around and returns whilst runners follow a slightly different route back to the one they ran out on. Following torrential rain during the night, there were rumours on social media that the train and/or the race may have to be cancelled but luckily this was unfounded. However, it did mean that the terrain was particularly challenging with more mud than the race has ever seen which made climbing half way up a mountain even harder. The event has the reputation of always having rain on the day and with a quick rain shower mid race this was not disproved although the conditions were mainly ideal with a cooling breeze for much of it. The train took 1 hour 47 minutes and unfortunately all HRC runners took a little longer! Mark Newson finished 217th in 1:58 with Steve Davey not too far behind in 226th in 1:59. Judy Davey came 325th in 2:07 managing 2nd in her age category. Judy had a battle for positions for the first 6 miles with Howard Bidmead but pulled away after that point. Howard came 484th in 2:19. Clare Melbourne and Janice Newson ran together to finish 696th in 2:43. Clare loves a good Park Run and couldn’t miss the opportunity to run the Aberystwyth one even though she knew she was doing 14 miles later in the day. Her partner Jay Sweetman, who is nursing an injury came 751st in 2:54. There were 830 finishers.

Jurassic Coast 10k & Forest Flyer
Sunday 6th August saw 3 Honiton Running Club runners taking the short trip to West Bay for the 5th running of the Bridport Runners’ Jurassic Coast 10k. For the second year running a half marathon took place alongside the 10k. Howard Bidmead and Janice Newson took on the 10k whilst Mark Newson ran the half. Both races started together and followed the same course with a steep climb on the coastal path towards Eype and then came Thorncombe Hill, the second highest point on the south coast. From here the half marathon route continued to Seatown and the 10k runners made their way back to West Bay and the finish. Howard, who seems to have recovered from recent injuries, had a super run finishing 8th overall and first in the O60 category in a time of 58 minutes 8 seconds. Janice found the warm conditions and hills tough but still had a great run finishing 48th in 1.16.23. There were 76 finishers. The race was run by Adam Gale in 47. 25. Mark has been running really well of late and this continued with a fine run in the half marathon finishing in a time of 2.01.03 and 22nd overall. There were 78 finishers. The half marathon was won by Ruth Barnes in 1.35.16 and seven minutes ahead of the second finisher and first male.

On Friday, 11th August 4 HRC runners took part in the Forest Flyer at Haldon Woods. This is a lovely 5 mile trail run. Mark Newson was first back for Honiton coming 25th in 35:42. Anne Carter and Asilah Jarrald battled against each other throughout taking over each other many times during the race. However, Anne got the better of Asilah at the finish resulting in Anne coming 86th in 45:22 with Asilah right behind in 45:45. Rachel Hennessy felt a bit queasy during the run probably because she had given blood the night before but she did well to come 105th in 48:55.

Dalwood Fayre 10k
Honiton Running Club members didn’t have to travel too far for last Sunday’s race. It was the Dalwood Fayre 10k multi-terrain. The weather started off a little muggy but about half way around the course it began to rain lightly before the heavens opened and heavy rain ensued. This wasn’t too unpleasant for runners as they had all warmed up and the cooling rain was a relief. However, it did mean that the runners had to take a bit more care over some of the potentially slippery areas. Axe Valley Runners took the first 3 places led home by Jake Smith who won in 37 minutes 11 seconds creating a new course record. HRC’s first runner home was Ben Stone who was in fine form to come 4th in 44:33. Rod Inglis came 9th in 48:56 and Mark Newson 11th in 50:17. Steve Davey and Richard Harris had their usual battle with Steve finishing 12th in 50:28 and Richard one place and 5 seconds later. Jo Davey led the HRC ladies home to come 2nd lady, 15th position in 53:06. Her mum, Judy, was 3rd lady in 55:00 and 18th place with Pippa Westall just one place later and 4th lady in 55:30. Shane Hudd completed the line-up coming a very respectable 22nd in 58:37. There were 39 finishers.

Quantock Beast, Otter Rail and River Run and Ham to Lyme Ultra
On Sunday, 2nd July Anne Carter and Asilah Jarrald took part in the Quantock Beast. This is a lovely run and Anne finished in 55 minutes 24 seconds and Asilah in 55.24. They said that it was a lovely run, rather hilly, a bit muddy and a little hot! It is 5.7 miles long and part of the Somerset series.

Whilst some members of Honiton Running Club tackled the tough Ham to Lyme 50k last Saturday others took on the 10th running of the Otter Rail and River run through the beautiful countryside around Tipton St. John. The route is a 10k off road event following the River Otter and the old railway line. 12 Honiton runners took part with Kevin Hawker being first back for the club and finishing 3rd overall in a time off 40 minutes exactly. Kevin not only took 3rd prize but also was the first male finisher O40. Next was Rod Inglis in 46.27 followed closely by Richard Harris in 47.33.
Howard Bidmead was next in and has found some form again following recent injuries. He battled it out with fellow club members Jo Davey and Mark Dallyn before finishing 38th overall in 48.52 and took the prize for first male O60 prize. Mark finished just behind in 41st place in 49.32. Jo Davey was the first of the Honiton ladies to finish in 45th position in 50.21 followed by Pippa Westall in 49th with a time of 50.35. Pippa took the prize for first female finisher O55.
Other HRC finishers: Mark Andow 60th 53.12, Anne Carter 97th 57.45, Asilah Jarrald 101st 58.27,
Rachel Hennessey 114th 60.51, Kathy Layzell 115th 60.52
There were 184 finishers and the race was won by Peter Monaghan from Torbay AC in a time of 39:43. The Honiton members received their prizes from BBC presenter Jeremy Vine who was in attendance to open the Tipton St. John summer fete.

HRC managed a turnout of 18 runners for the Albion Runners Ham to Lyme Ultra Marathon. The start was Ham Hill and the finish was Lyme Regis although some runners chose to start from Lyme Regis, run to Ham Hill and then turn around and run back again. However, none of the HRC members were that foolhardy. Although officially a race for most it was just about completing the distance. Ben Stone and Alasdair Moffett ran together for the entire race and managed to go off course within the first mile. The opportunity to go wrong was huge and most runners did at one time or another. Chris Entwhistle came in behind Alasdair and Ben and Gavin Rice followed some time later. Gavin bravely took on the bike leg of the Honiton Triathlon the day after. Judy and Steve Davey were next with Steve struggling for the last 8 miles. With Judy’s encouragement, they managed to cross the line almost together with Judy finishing as 3rd lady and Steve nearly passing out once he stopped. Next came Sherrie Hair and Suzanne and Simon Spiller. Suzanne and Simon ran the race last year so had a bit of an advantage with route navigation but even they were very unsure at some points. Stephen Boyes is quite used to ultra-events but this was his first time for this one. Dan Strawbridge had only been persuaded to run 2 days earlier and as his training consisted of a 10 mile run the previous weekend he did very well to finish. Tim Wigram and Richard (Tricky) Terry were next back with Tricky being the person responsible for persuading Dan to take part with the comment ‘if I can do it, you can’ or words to that effect! Sharon Wells is another seasoned ultra-runner and she had tackled this event last year. However, she found it too hot and put in a much slower time than before. Steve and Michelle Selley and Anna Dalzell ran together with Michelle and Anna having to encourage Steve along the way when he started to feel a bit strange. Mark Newson ran with Clare Melbourne. Clare is a determined runner who shows grit and determination with every race she does and keeps on going at the same pace to finish strongly. Thanks to Brent Dicks for driving the mini bus and supporting HRC runners in many other ways including spare kit storage and just popping up at every food station to offer encouraging words.

Lyme Regis Poppy Run, Torbay Half Marathon, Woodland Relays, Forde Abbey 10k and Charmouth Challenge
On Sunday 25th June two members of Honiton Running Club took on the Lyme Regis Poppy 10k run. Dawn Peek and Rachel Mandrupson set off along the esplanade to run the whole of Lyme Regis sea front before heading towards Holcombe,Uplyme and Sleech Woods before returning back into Lyme Regis for a final lap around the local football pitch. Dawn was first back for HRC in a time of 1 hr 21 mins in 39th place whilst Rachel who found it very hard going came in 46th in a time of 1:25. With over 700 ft of climb both did very well. The race was won by Jake Smith of Axe Valley Runners in a time of 41 min 57 sec. Although they call it a 10k run it was nearer to 7 miles so a great time by Jake. There were 47 finishers. Dawn is already thinking of doing it again next near!

On the same day some HRC members tackled the Torbay Half Marathon. It was a hot day and Jennie Sleeman achieved her aim of finishing under 2 hours (1:59:02). Kathy Layzell crossed the line in 2:12:22 and was pleased with her time.

Exmouth Harriers’ Woodland Relays took place on Woodbury Common last Wednesday evening on what has to be the wettest evening this year! It had rained constantly since early afternoon and just driving to the venue was a challenge with all the puddles (and for some finding the venue proved difficult too)! The rain continued all evening and runners struggled to shelter under gazebos and umbrellas. Once runners got wet, it felt very cold and runners struggled to negotiate the very damp 2 ½ miles. There were 21 adult teams of which HRC made up 9. Honiton’s ladies won their race with the team made up of: Jo Davey, Suzanne Spiller and Sherrie Hair. Sherrie was the fastest female runner of the evening. They came 7th overall and the team just behind them was HRC’s male vet team also winning their category. They were Richard Harris, Rod Inglis and Steve Davey. HRC’s mixed team won theirs too made up of Katy Campbell, Sharon Wells and Kevin Hawker. HRC prizes weren’t over yet as the female vet team also won made up of Judy Davey, Fran Bond and Pippa Westall. Will Daly, Richard Harvey and Adam Hennessey were actually the first HRC team back coming 5th overall but their category was won by the overall winners N1 Tri Club. Other foolhardy HRC runners to take part were: Mark Newson, Phil Hall, Jay Sweetman, Tony Peek, Joe Daly, Roger Saunders and Kathy Layzell who was in the car that got lost and arrived late meaning as soon as the car stopped, Kathy set off down the hill and the marshal thinking she was on her 2nd loop directed her right instead of left! Despite missing about a mile of the course, Kathy thought it was quite far enough and the result wasn’t affected as they didn’t win anyway! Rachel Hennessey, Paula Ferris, Janice Newson (running for the first time ever for HRC), Juliet Hall and Clare Melbourne also ran. The route was a very loose figure of 8 and the junior teams ran just the first loop. HRC juniors won overall made up of Charlie Arnold, Sam Gammon and Thomas Lilley who was the fastest junior of the evening. The other junior HRC came 6th overall and was made up of Daniel Crabb, Isabella Holman and Esme Nally. 10 teams finished. Thanks to Exmouth Harriers for hosting this event in such diabolical conditions and thanks too to the marshals who remained friendly and cheerful throughout which must have been harder than actually running the relays!

On Thursday, 29th June the Ford Abbey 10k race took place with the base as the name suggests at Ford Abbey. This is an off road race boasting 2 river crossings. The race organisers are Chard Road Runners and their own Wayne Loveridge won the race in 40 minutes 4 seconds. Nick Silkstone came first for HRC in 18th place in 46:30 followed by Richard Harris 45th in 51:12. Pippa Westall was next coming 69th in 55:19 about 5 minutes quicker than last year and picking up her first ever trophy for winning her age category even though she sustained a nasty gash to her leg in one of the river crossings. Other HRC runners were: 120th Nick Thorpe 1:03:27, 191st Sandra Thorpe 1:18:16, 192nd Amy Williams 1:18:29, 195th Karen Shaw 1:18:29 and 196th Juliet Hall 1:19:18. There were 205 finishers.

On Saturday, 1st July, 4 HRC members took on the Charmouth Challenge which is an 8 mile fell race through some of the finest coastal scenery in the South West on Dorset’s beautiful Jurassic Coast overlooking Charmouth’s fossil hunting beaches with views to Lyme Regis. Runners ascend the very tough Stone Barrow Lane within the first mile of the race and later in the race ascend to Golden Cap and at 191 metres this is the highest point on the South Coast of England. Steve Davey was first back for HRC coming 63rd in 1 hour 12 minutes and he was followed by Mark Dallyn who came 100th in 1:16. Howard Bidmead came 163rd in 1:23 and last but definitely not least was Sharon Wells who was running her second race of the day. She had completed Seaton Park Run in the morning before coming 269th in 1:37 at Charmouth. There were 337 finishers.

Killerton Duathlon & Jersey Half Marathon
On Sunday 4th June 4 members of Honiton Running Club took part in the Killerton Duathlon. A mix of run - cycle - run. There were two distances to choose from; the longer standard distance or shorter sprint. All HRC took on the shorter sprint made up of a 5k run, 20k bile ride followed by a 3k run. There was also the opportunity for one competitor to do the whole thing or as pairs. Katy Cambell & Tony Peek both opted to do the whole thing whilst Karen Toffs & Michelle Selley entered the pairs with Karen doing the running & Michelle the cycle ride.
They all found it tough at the start with undulations in the run to the first transition area where it was a change of shoes to cycle ones, grab your helmet & bike to cycle the 20k route out of Killerton onto the main Broadclyst to Cullompton road before following the same route back with the wind in their faces. Although Tony was quicker on the bike section it was not enough to catch Katy who had made a great start with the run. It was then back into the transition area and back into running shoes. Again Katy was a lot quicker then Tony in transitions gaining her valuable time. They set out into the last run which felt like the hardest with legs that didn't want to run. On the last downhill section Tony tried to gain back some time only to have cramp pull him up to a complete stop whilst he stretched it out. Karen, who had not been too well, had a good run on the first leg coming in just behind Tony, before sending Michelle off on her cycle ride giving Karen’s legs chance to recover before her final run. Luckily the rain held off just long enough for the last run!
1st back for Honiton was Katy in a completed time of 1 hr 28 min 58 sec. 2nd back was Tony in 1:36:33. 3rd back was the duo of Karen & Michelle in a time of 1:47:56. A tough morning but one that they are all eager to repeat.

Last Sunday, Howard Bidmead took a short break to Jersey and took part in the half marathon. He has been suffering with injuries on and off so was delighted to finish in one piece in 1 hour 49 minutes 58 seconds.

Jurassic Coast 100k, Rock 'n' Roll Weekend, Women Can & Umborne Ug
On Saturday, 20th May, Honiton Running Club’s Sharon Wells took part in the Jurassic Coast 100km, an event organised by Climb South West. The runners started from Weymouth at 2 am following the coastal path to Exmouth. Running the first 2 hours in the dark was hard, but once the sun came up Sharon began to enjoy it more. The first half was fine, quite flat except for Golden Cap. She arrived at Lyme Regis almost on schedule but then hit the undercliff through to Seaton which she didn’t like at all, lots of mud, undulations, tree roots and steps making progress slow. At Seaton Sharon was joined by fellow HRC member, Mark Newson, who had completed parkrun and volunteered to accompany her on the toughest stretch through to Exmouth. They managed the nasty hills through to Sidmouth, finally making it to the 75km mark where they were joined by another HRC runner, Paula Ferris. The remaining miles passed in a slow blur. The last mile along Exmouth seafront was in to the wind and Sharon felt like she was not gaining any ground, but she did finally arrive at the finish. A total of 157 walkers and runners started (walkers headed out at 10 pm Friday night), only 95 of them got to the finish and Sharon was delighted to be included in that number. She was extremely grateful of the support she had along the way!

On Friday 26th June Anna Dalzell, Debbie Vinnicombe, Karen Tofts(Lister), Michelle Selley & Vanessa Knowles travelled up to Liverpool to take part in the Rock 'n' Roll weekend. As in the title the weekend is full of music & 'bling'. The courses having plenty of music all the way around the routes & a big music festival after the main races on the Sunday. There is a 5km run on the Saturday & a half & full marathon on Sunday morning followed by a mile fun run in the afternoon. This is where the 'bling' comes in. If you run a race on the 2 consecutive days (the mile run isn't included in that) you'll get a 'Remix' medal plus a medal for the mile and as the group ran last year they also got an Encore medal. Five medals in one weekend so if you’re into 'bling' these are the races to do. This year the series were celebrating 20 years, the 1st race being in San Deigo in 1988. As this is Beatles country and they were celebrating the 60's & 70’s Beatles era the girls kept with what seems to have become a tradition for them and dressed up for the 5km run which they all ran together stopping for a couple of photos on the way. Sunday was a bit more sensible. They represented HRC wearing the Club vests. Karen, Anna & Vanessa completed the half in 2.13 mins (which included several photo stops). Michelle & Debbie both ran the Marathon. Michelle in 4hrs 8mins & Debbie in 5 hrs 5mins. PB's for both of them. A great weekend had by all and well recommended.

On Sunday, 28th May, 400 women came together to show that ‘women can’ by taking part in the first ever women-only Women Can Marathon on a route taking in glorious coast and countryside in East Devon. The event marked the 50th anniversary when Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon in 1967 in defiance of the ‘no women’ rules. The race was won by Elizabeth Dyson who finished in 3 hours 20 minutes, an amazing 35 minutes ahead of the 2nd placed runner. Judy Davey was first back for HRC coming 12th in 4:13 even though she managed an extra ½ mile by taking a wrong turn. Nevertheless, she was still rewarded for her efforts by coming 1st in her age category. Paula Ferris was next back coming 19th in 4:32. Jennie Sleeman was delighted to come 58th just beating the 5 hour mark in 4:58. Clare Melbourne came 82nd in 5:14 and she was followed by Rachel Hennessey who came 119th in 5:35. Asilah Jarrald and Anne Carter finished the line-up running together coming 123rd in 5:36. There were 205 marathon finishers. Also taking part were 27 pairs of half marathon runners including HRC pairs Angela Belle and Katherine Tomkins who came 15th in 5:14 and Kathy Layzell and Claire Rouse who came 20th in 5:21. There was also the opportunity of running in relay teams of 4 or taking part as a Nordic walker. Everyone reported that the atmosphere was fantastic and support was immense. Thanks mainly to chief organiser Jo Earlam and helpers Pauline Beare and Peggy Wiseman but also to the many other people who made the event possible including marshals, caterers, sponsors, etc.

On Saturday evening of 3rd June HRC runners were out in force to take part in the local Umborne Ug which is a tough multi-terrain 10k race. The race was won by Tim Lenton of Axe Valley Runners who finished in 41:26 and the first HRC runner back was Adam Hennessey who finished 10th in 46:50. Rod Inglis was next back coming 15th in 50:31 and then came Richard Harvey 17th in 51:18. Steve Davey followed coming 20th in 51:55 having fallen off a stile. Mark Newson was next back coming 23rd in 52:36. Richard Harris saw Steve fall off the stile and thinking that was the thing to do he also took a tumble on the same one. Richard came 24th in 53:07. First HRC lady and 4th lady overall was Jo Davey who came 37th in 56:53. Pippa Westall had a fantastic run to come 41st overall in 57:51 and she was chuffed and delighted to win her category for the first time in her running career. Judy Davey still had the previous week’s marathon in her legs and came in just behind Pippa 17 seconds later. It was the first time Emilie Tones had run this race and she found it tough but did well to finish 52nd in 1:01:44. Darren Roberts has been getting faster on road and did well on this MT course to come 57th in 1:03:17. Andy Ashford followed 3 places and 17 seconds later just 10 seconds and one place ahead of Sharon Wells. There were 91 finishers. Thanks to everyone who made the run possible but especially the main organisers, Rick and Eleanor Wood.

Exeter Marathon and Clyst Hydon Huff
Kev Hawker, Adam Hennessay, Tim Wigram and Steve Boyes of Honiton Running Club took on the Exeter Marathon last Sunday. Starting at Exeter City Football Club, it went through the town centre then onto the Quay for 3 loops around the windy riverside to finish at Haven Banks. Kev Hawker was first back for HRC in 3hrs and 30 seconds. After leading at 6 miles he was sent the wrong way and dropped back to 3rd. Not that it affected the result as his legs went into a shuffle after 20 miles to finish 5th. Steve Boyes had a great run coming home in 3hrs 56. Adam Hennessey was in good shape and hoping for a quick time. Unfortunately injury struck with a swollen foot. Adam took his shoe off to walk the last 4 miles. A great effort. Tim Wigram was using the event as a training run for his upcoming Ultra, running a marathon a month. He finished in 4:20. All finishers got a well deserved Beer.

Meanwhile several other HRC runners were out at Clyst Hydon taking part in the Huff. The race had reached its limit within minutes of opening registration on the day and late entrants had to wait patiently to see if they could take the place of a no show. Luckily for Richard Harris, after a nervous wait, this was the case and he had a great run to come 29th in 51 minutes 8 seconds. Steve Davey was next back coming 32nd 23 seconds later. Jo Davey was the first lady home for HRC and 5th lady overall. She came 38th in 52:14 finally beating her mum in a race – it will be the first of many! She had a great battle with Eleanor Wood of Axe Valley Runners crossing the line together and being given the same finishing time. Mark Dallyn came 41st in 53:25 and he was followed by Howard Bidmead who finished 43rd in exactly 54 minutes. Having just moved into a new age category he was very excited to find out he’d won it! Judy Davey was next back also winning her age category. She was 45th in 54:49. Roger Saunders followed not too far behind coming 48th in 55:23 with Pippa Westall hot on his heels coming 50th in 56:09. Clare Melbourne, Jay Sweetman and Mark Newson ran together and finished 81st in 1:04:15 an amazing 7 minutes quicker than last year. Jennie Sleeman finished 87th in 1:05:15 and Kathy Layzell completed the line-up to come 100th in 1:08:51. There were 134 finishers and the winner was Anthony Hatchard who finished in 39:56. There was also a 2k fun run for the youngsters and Callum Hall came 84th, his brother Nathan 87th and Oscar Devine 91st who ran with his mum Asilah. Many thanks to Clyst Hydon Primary School for putting on such a well organised event and especially Jane Murray the main organiser.

Ottery 10k
The Ottery 10k race organised by Honiton Running Club took place last Sunday on a gorgeous sunny day. Ottery Carnival Committee provided many of the marshals and although many HRC members were involved with organisation, the Club still managed to sport a good representation of            runners. Numbers entered overall beat the course record in dramatic style with 301 crossing the finish line. This all road course is around the streets of Ottery St Mary and is billed as fairly flat although in the heat of the day most runners disagreed with this. The race was won by Tom Merson of Exmouth Harriers in the fantastic time of 32 minutes and 2 seconds – over 2 minutes ahead of the 2nd placed runner. The first lady was Suzy Rushforth of South West Road Runners in 41:08. First back for Honiton was young Will Daly who came 12th in 38:22. Another young HRC runner was next back in the form of George Tomkins who came 35th in 41:38. He was just ahead of Sherrie Hair who was 1st lady back for HRC and 2nd lady overall. She finished in 41:49. Other HRC runners were: 47th Mark Newson 43:12, 52nd Rod Inglis 44:06, 56th Sam Pollard 44:33, 62nd Steve Davey 45:15, 66th Richard Harris 45:42, 78th Mark Dallyn 46:34, 79th Jo Davey 46:45,80th Steve Selley 46:57, 93rd Pippa Westall 48:36, 107th Darren Roberts 49:55, 114th Kate Smith 50:47, 119th Andy Ashford 51:05, 146th Jay Sweetman 52:37, 147th Rachel Hennessey 52:38, 176th Lex Turnham 55:12, 177th Asilah Jarrald 55:14, 178th Clare Melbourne 55:20, 181st Linda Pike 56:03, 189th Charlotte McKechnie 57:07, 190th Teresa Pollard 57:10, 193rd Geri Terry 57:36, 207th Owen Bukin 58:52, 209th Phil Hall 58:58, 216th Alan Rowe 59:58, 219th Claire Staniforth 1:00:13, 223rd Carol Turnham 1:00:35, 224th Liz Corney 1:00:39, 232nd Becky Galiford 1:01:42, 238th Lucy Daly 1:01:48, 264th Karen Shaw 1:05:40, 276th Claire Arscott 1:07:16, 283rd Paula Ferris 1:10:08 (running with Paul Bryant), 286th Vanessa Glyn Jones 1:12:09, 289th Elizabeth Kranen 1:14:05.

There was also a 1 mile fun run open to youngsters. The first 3 boys and girls won chocolate, a trophy, a medal and a tee-shirt for their efforts. Huge thanks to all the sponsors, the Cricket Club, the Carnival Club and anyone else who made the day such a success.

Beer Blazer and Crediton Crunch
Last Sunday, in ideal weather conditions, several Honiton Running Club members took on the Beer Blazer. This takes in one of the nastier sections of the infamous Grizzly with competitors running the length of Branscombe Beach before climbing the Stairway to Heaven. The race’s base is at Pecorama and is a 10k all off road run. The winner was Richard Bateson who finished in 42 minutes 52 seconds. First back for HRC was young Will Daly running the course for the first time. He came 6th overall in 46:41. Next was Rod Inglis who had a great run to come 18th in 52:58 and he was followed by Steve Davey who came 25th in 55:14. Howard Bidmead is getting over an injury so did well to come 50th in 1:00:43 ahead of HRC’s first and only lady, Paula Ferris, who finished 58th in 1:02:48. Andy Ashford has really picked the pace up with his racing and he came 73rd in 1:06:39. Joe Daly completed the line-up to come 100th in 1:15:09 and there were 138 finishers.

Sisters Phoebe and Alice Clark took part in the Fun Run with fantastic results. Phoebe was 1st girl and 2nd overall and Alice was 3rd girl and 8th overall.

Meanwhile Roger Saunders chose to run the Crediton Crunch to keep his standings up in the Instep Devon championship. The route was very similar to the Blazer in that it started at the top of a hill and then descended to the river at the bottom to be followed by several steep climbs on the way back, but no beach and it was a bit less than 10K due to last minute route changes. Roger was the only Honiton runner there and finished 62nd in a time of 46:59. The winner was Robert Ellis from Exmouth Harriers in a time of 33:38.

Bolt Head to Head, Offa's Orror and London Marathon
On Saturday, 22nd April, whilst some of the club were preparing for the London Marathon, a few Honiton Running Club runners were taking on a "slightly" less well known run in Salcombe, South Devon. Suzanne and Simon Spiller, Paula Ferris, Sherrie Hair and Sharon Wells tackled the Bolt Head to Head coast run; a 22 Km coast line run taking in such landmarks as Hope’s Cove, Bolberry Down and Overbecks house. The scenery was fantastic and the run was made all the better by the great weather.
Not content with that, Paula Ferris ventured further afield the following day to race Chepstow Harriers’ infamous Trail Run "Offa's Orror" which is not for the faint hearted,  taking in sections of the famous Offa's Dyke path, and tracks and trails around it. The route is a little under 20km/12miles with a height gain of approximately 670m (2200 feet). Encountering hills, forest tracks, single track footpaths, steep descents, riverbank paths, less than 1km of tarmac ... and of course, the beauty of the Wye Valley (if you've got time to look at it!). Paula completed the race in 2 hours 05 mins, 129th out of 209 runners.

HRC only had 2 representatives running the London Marathon this year and first back was seasoned LM runner, Judy Davey. She finished in 3 hours 36 minutes and a very respectable 7434th place out of the 40,000 finishers. She was happy with her time having completed it both quicker and slower previously. Clare Melbourne was running London for the first time and really enjoyed it! She found the crowds were amazing and it was totally different to other marathons. Clare said it felt surreal that she was actually running this iconic event - it didn't really sink in until she watched the highlights on TV when she got home! She managed to run the whole way as she knew if she stopped to walk that would have been it, and the boost of seeing friends and relatives supporting along the way spurred her on to get to the finish! Clare raised an incredible amount of over £1100 for the club’s charity of the year Macmillan Cancer Support. Clare finished 20,944th in 4:27. She is so grateful for everyone's support for the fundraising and the running and super-chuffed with the amazing medal!

Kilmington Kanter & Fast Friday 10k
Kilmington Kanter saw record numbers take part on Good Friday and this was made up of a good turnout of Honiton runners. This multi-terrain course is just short of 7 miles and takes in a variety of tracks, woodland and 2 challenging hills. The race was won by 17 year old Ollie Caute in 44 minutes 8 seconds and the lady winner was Flo Swan who is also a 17 year old Axe Valley Runner. She came 20th in 50:53. Adam Hennessey was first back for HRC coming 12th in 48:56 and he was followed by Nick Silkstone coming 15th in 49:27. New HRC runner Mark Newson showed what he was made of to come 29th in 53:29. Richard Harvey followed coming 32nd in 54:26. Steve Davey and Alasdair Moffatt had a good battle throughout with Steve managing to come just one second ahead of Alasdair in 34th place and 54:55. The next 5 runners were very close throughout the race swapping positions many times with Paula Ferris leading them and the other HRC ladies home to come 49th in 57:13. Mark Dallyn has been out of the racing scene for a while but did well to come 52nd in 58:01. Judy and Jo Davey followed directly behind with Judy 8 seconds later and Jo just 1 second after her. Judy took home a very nice hamper for winning her age category. Richard Terry has shown huge improvement recently and knocked over 10 minutes off his time from last year. He came 57th in 58:54. Tim Wigram came 69th in1:00:53, Nicola Greenland 74th in 1:02:34, Howard Bidmead 75th in 1:02:50, Joe Daly 120th in 1:14:04 and Claire Rouse 122nd in 1:14:32. There were 136 finishers.

Honiton had great success in the Fun Run with Phoebe Clark coming 1st female and 2nd overall in 21:04. Her sister Alice also won her category coming 8th overall in 23:15 and 3rd overall female. There were 42 finishers.

Three HRC runners opted for the flat river Exe tow path rather than the hills of Kilmington on Good Friday in a bid to boost their 10K times. The Fast Friday 10K is part of the Instep Devon race series and was sold out quickly. The 2 lap course along the River Exe was flat except for the bridges. Roger Saunders entered at the last minute as a member was suffering an ailment and gifted her place to him. He came in 64th and first in the V60 category in 46:53 so this keeps him in the running for the overall lead in this category for the Instep Devon race series. Katy Campbell was not far behind in 72nd place in 48:22 and Rachel Hennessey was 92nd in 50:56. Ben Stone running for Tiverton came in with a very swift time of 40:32. The race was won by Phil Wylie of Cheltenham Harriers in 31:30.

Honiton Hippo & Exe to Axe
Last Sunday, Honiton Running Club held its Hippo and Hippo Calf in the hottest weather conditions the race has experienced in its history. This tough race is based at Honiton Primary School and the main race is just over 7 miles in length involving plenty of variety. Runners first run down the road to the entrance of Combe Woods before circling the woods and coming back on the road to Combe Raleigh. They then face the challenging St Cyres’ Hill running on road and through woods. Next it’s down the road towards Awliscombe before entering the Land Rover Experience only to go straight back up the hill again. A quick run around the Land Rover Experience follows involving a muddy soaking! Runners are treated to two river crossings to clean them off before a final hill back to school. The race was won by Jake Smith of Axe Valley Runners in 47 minutes 25 and the first lady home was Emma Sharples of South West Road Runners who finished in 57:16. Many Honiton RC members were involved in helping or marshalling but quite a few took part with the first back being Will Daly who was also the youngest runner for HRC. He came 16th in 59:12. Sherrie Hair was the first lady HRC runner finishing 25th overall in 1:02:43. Other Honiton finishers were:47th Hadleigh Davies 1:07:40, 54th Stephen Boyes 1:09:11, 55th Jo Davey 1:09:28, 58th Sam Pollard 1:09:59, 83rd Nicola Greenland 1:16:16, 96th Shane Hudd 1:19:05, 110th Lex Turnham 1:25:02, 117th Katherine Tomkins 1:26:04, 127th Michela Hudd 1:28:08, 133rd Carol Turnham 1:30:38, 146th Vanessa Knowles, Michelle Selley and Anna Dalzell all 1:33:28, 153rd Teresa Pollard 1:34:12 and 166th Geri Terry 1:36:58. There were 233 finishers.
The Calf is open to youngsters of 9 years and over and is approximately 1 ¾ miles in length. It follows the same route as the Hippo until coming out of Combe Woods when the Calf runners are sent back to base. As the weather has been dry recently the youngsters were able to come back through the river like the adults. HRC’s George Tomkins won it in 11:05 and Axe Valley Runners’ Caitlin Smith was first girl back in 3rd place overall in 11:45. HRC’s Jemima Daly was 3rd girl home. There were 52 finishers. The first primary school team home was once again Upottery.
Thanks to everyone who enabled the event to be the success it was especially the landowners who very generously allowed their ground to be churned by hundreds of pairs of feet.
On Sunday, 2nd April some brave Honiton Running Club members took on the 21 mile Sidmouth Running Club’s Exe to Axe race which takes runners from Exmouth sea front through Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Branscombe and finishes in Seaton. This year the route was extended to take in the entire length of Seaton sea front. As you would expect of a coastal run there were many steep climbs and descents and the course was very muddy at times but, of course, there were also spectacular views. Alasdair Moffett led HRC home to come 19th in 3 hours 26 minutes and he was followed by Steve Davey who came 47th in 3:49. Paula Ferris was the first of the HRC ladies back coming 129th in 4:38. Richard Terry came next 132nd in 4:43 and Tim Wigram followed soon after coming 137th in 4:45. For Clare Melbourne it was the last long training run before London Marathon and she came 169th in 5:07. Sharon Wells completed the line-up coming 176th in 5:12. The race was won by Michael Robinson in 2:53 and there were 222 finishers.

Yeovil Half Marathon, Taunton Half Marathon and Wokingham 10k
On Sunday, 26th March several of the lady Honiton Running Club members took part in the Yeovil Half Marathon. The race took place on a sunny day, with a large field of nearly 1300 finishers. The route took runners round the town of Yeovil and into the grounds of Montacute House, before a downhill finish through the shopping centre. There were crowds of people cheering and playing music along much of the course. Jennie Sleeman was first back for Honiton coming 477th in 1 hour 53 minutes. Other Honiton runners were: 744th Anna Dalzell 2:02, 761st Vanessa Knowles 2:03, 817th Clare Melbourne 2:06, 818th Karen Lister 2:06, 921st Kathy Layzell 2:12 and 960th Debbie Vinnicombe 2:14.   The race was won by Chris Southern in 1:13.

On Sunday, 2nd April Andy Ashford took part in the Taunton Half Marathon and did very well to come 315th in the great time of 1:48. There were 971 finishers and the race was won by Jim Cole in 1:11.

Howard Bidmead was in Wokingham at the weekend testing out the new route of the Wokingham 10k which was two laps of the beautiful Dinton Pastures Country Park. Howard says this was a glorious location, running two laps around the lake on tracks and footpaths. He was pleased with his run and finished 29th in 47m 40s and was 3rd male V50. There were 195 finishers and the race was won by Simon Millet of Windsor Slough Elton & Hounslow AC in a time of 33m 51s.

Arlington Court Canter
Howard Bidmead travelled to North Devon to take part in the Arlington Court Canter. A tough off road 10k with steep hills and rocky descents as well as muddy tracks. Runners are however rewarded with glorious views of the North Devon countryside.
Howard was happy with his time finishing in 54m 21s.

Grizzly, Cub, Junior & Fun Run
Honiton Running Club had a great turn out for this year’s Grizzly and Cub runs. The runs are organised by local Axe Valley Runners and The Grizzly celebrated its 30th birthday this year. For the first time in the history of the event it was won by AVR’s own member Jake Smith in the amazing time of 2 hours 20 minutes. First back for HRC was Kevin Hawker who showed the rest of the club how it’s done to come 66th in 2:53. Ben Stone only secured his Grizzly number a couple of days before the race so Grizzly specific training was sparse! He had an excellent result coming 106th in exactly 3 hours despite cutting his hand and needing to visit A and E to have it stitched up after the race. Another casualty was Chris Entwistle who fell and badly bruised his shoulder at mile 14 but also carried on and finished in the amazing time of 3:03 in 127th place. Adam Hennessey had a much better race than last year coming just 2 places and 20 seconds behind Chris. HRC’s first lady back was Fran Bond who dusted off her racing shoes to come 228th in 3:18. Other HRC runners’ places and times were: 271 Steve Davey 3:22, 304 Ian Stewart 3:25, 335 Judy Davey 3:28, 360 Suzanne Spiller 3:31, 379 Simon Spiller 3:32, 382 Sherrie Hair 3:32, 454 Vernon Gillard 3:37, 470 Richard Harris 3:38, 493 Hadleigh Davies 3:40, 500 Tom Bornet 3:41, 556 Paula Ferris 3:45, 562 Richard Terry 3:46, 565 Tim Wigram 3:47, 626 Rachel Gair 3:51, 676 Heather Foundling-Hawker 3:56, 757 Andy Ashford 4:02, 824 Nicola Greenland 4:08, 995 Helen Davy 4:18, 1019 Rachel Hennessey 4:22, 1084 Asilah Jarrald 4:26. Dressed as bees Anna Dalzell, Vanessa Knowles, Michelle Selley finished together in 5:15 with Debbie Vinnicombe also dressed as a bee completing the HRC line-up coming in 5:35.

The 9 mile Cub Run is a tough race in itself but attracted several HRC runners. Young Will Daly did very well coming 10th in 1:13. Other HRC results: 65th Helen Oliff 1:33, 85 Katy Campbell 1:37, 114 Jennie Sleeman 1:40, 131 Kelvin Peard 1:42, 200 Claire Rouse 1:49, 202 Denis Costello 1:49, 263 Geri Terry 1:57, 273 Joe Daly 1:59, 287 Jo Taylor 2:00, 307 Pete Lyus 2:02, 345 Karen Lister 2:07, 353 Clare Melbourne 2:09, 354 Juliet Hall 2:09.
Before all this took place, the youngsters had their turn on Saturday and an incredible record was set with 314 runners finishing the fun run. Amongst them was Max Spiller who came 88th and his sister Ella who came 110th. Charlie Entwistle came 273rd with his 3 year old brother, Harry, coming 285th. The race was won by Sam Eyre of Colyton. The Junior Grizzly attracted 47 entrants with HRC junior, Alfie Gibbins, coming a fantastic 11th in 18 minutes 16 seconds and Ben Entwistle coming 46th in 28:45. The winner was Tom Rehal from Blackwater Junior Tri Club who finished in 14:17.

Bideford Half Marathon
Last Sunday, on a day when the weather forecast threatened heavy rain and strong winds, several Honiton Running Club members took part in the Bideford Half Marathon. Luckily it wasn’t as bad as predicted with respite in the form of sunshine at times. The course takes in magnificent countryside alongside the River Torridge between Bideford and Great Torrington. The course is half on roads and half on the Tarka Trail. Runners even get to run through a tunnel. The race is moderately flat with one small hill and is known as a ‘swift half’. Jim Cole won the race in the time of 1 hour 11 minutes. Vernon Gillard hasn’t race recently but did well to finish 229th in 1:40. Gavin Rice was wearing his HRC vest for the first time coming 260th in 1:42. First back for the ladies was Claire Rouse who came 756th in 2:05. Kathy Layzell had a better run than her previous race now her sciatic pain is improving. She came 861st in 2:12. Rachel Mandrupson was next back coming 956th in 2:19. Jo Lowman’s racing shoes took a rare outing and she came 1006th in 2:26. She was followed by Wendy Le Masurier in 2:32 in 1056th place. Tina Ludlow came 1108th in 2:49. Tracey Hailey and Sara Trumper finished the HRC line-up coming within one place of each other in 1116th and 1117th place. Tracey took 3:01 and Sara 3:06.

Dalwood 3 Hills' Challenge
Several Honiton Running Club members took the short journey to Dalwood to take part in the Dalwood 3 Hills’ Challenge which is a tough 10 mile multi-terrain race boasting 4 hills rather than the suggested 3. This year, although the weather was pretty perfect for running, the ground was very wet with plenty of mud to be found. Alasdair Moffett was first back for Honiton coming 11th in 1 hour 19 minutes and 52 seconds celebrating with a spectacular somersault in the river at the finish. Hot on his heels was Adam Hennessey who finished just 4 seconds later. Chris Entwistle came back next finishing 15th in 1:21:14. New member Nicholas Silkstone was racing for HRC for the first time and did himself and the club proud coming 25th in 1:27:10. Rod Inglis continues his fine form to come 31st in 1:28:16 managing to gain the best age graded result of HRC. Steve Davey was next back coming 38th in 1:32:39. This is the first race for a while that Simon Spiller took on for the club and he did brilliantly to come 44th in 1:34:07. Tim Wigram had overtaken Judy Davey with about 2 miles to go and finished 52nd in 1:37:52 with Judy finishing 3 places later in 1:38:47 and being the only female representative for the club. There were 97 finishers and the race was won by Axe Valley Runners’ Jake Smith. Thanks to Dalwood Run Committee for another great race.
Some offspring of club members took part in the Fun Run and first back for Honiton was Max Spiller who finished 21st in 12 minutes 26 seconds. His sister Ella was only 3 places later in13:40. She just beat Ben Entwistle who was one place and 19 seconds later. Ben’s brother Charlie finished 35th in 19:28. The race was won by Sam Eyre of Axe Valley Runners and there were 39 finishers.

Greenbow Half Marathon
Asilah Jarrald, Sharon Wells and Claire Rouse did the Greenbow circle half'ish marathon on Sunday. It is a new event for 2017 where teams self navigate themselves aound the Exeter Green Circle, following only the signposts around the city and a rough route map. They came 6th out of 19 teams despite not having Tony Peek who was originally planning to be part of the team so well done ladies!

Exeter Track Series
On Monday, 23rd January, Phoebe and Alice Clark from Honiton Running Club Juniors took part in the recent Exeter Harriers track series. Phoebe ran the longer 3K distance even though this race was an older category than the U15 that Phoebe should have been in. Despite this she won her heat by some margin and ran it in 11 minutes 9 seconds.She would have finished half way through the faster heat so something to aim for next time. Alice ran the 1500m as she was in the U13 category, even though she is only 10 years old. She was determined to come last but she won the race and ran it in 5.50. For both girls this was their first experience of a track and they both enjoyed the experience (and the burgers after!). They looked very smart in all black base layers and their Honiton RC vests. Well done to them both.

Blackdown Beast
Last Saturday, 180 runners set off on a very cold, crisp day to take part in Honiton Running Club’s Blackdown Beast. There would have been plenty of mud and other farming substances but this year the ground was frozen posing different ankle turning problems. The 16.3 miles was always going to be tough with plenty of hills to sap the legs. The Beast is always a sell out but this year saw a record number of runners take part with plenty from HRC itself.
The event is a social run with several stops on route taking in the scenery of the beautiful Blackdown Hills. The event began and ended at the Highfield Sport and Social Club, Dunkeswell. The first stop, after 7 ½ miles, was Smeatharpe Village Hall where participants were treated to delicious hot sweet mulled cider and equally delicious warming pasties. Thanks to the ladies of the WI for making and serving this very welcome sustenance. The next stop was the Sidmouth Arms, Upottery where some runners took the opportunity of taking a mini bus back to Dunkeswell having completed 10 miles. For others, it was on to the Luppitt Inn; one of the smallest pubs in the country! Organisers made sure the family knew runners were coming as opening times are flexible! The shortish last leg then takes runners across private land back to Dunkeswell.

As always all participants thoroughly enjoyed the day with many looking forward to the summer version; the Blackdown Beauty. The date has been set for 15th July and places are likely to go fast for this event too so look out for further information on www.honitonrc.com and to register your interest very soon. Thanks to everyone who made the event possible including the landowners. Money raised will go to Macmillan Cancer Support.

First Chance & Axmouth Challenge
Although some Club Members headed for Axmouth for the hills on Sunday 8th Jan some Honiton Running Club members opted for a pancake flat 10K from the Quay along the river in Exeter known as the First Chance which is a 2 loop circuit mostly on tarmac and gives fast times. The winner was Phil Wylie from Cheltenham in 31:02. Roger Saunders led the HRC runners home coming first in his category in a time of 43:37 his fastest for 10 years. Katy Campbell who is getting in the miles for her forthcoming Marathon was next in 47:21. Jay Sweetman followed in 49:56. Anne Carter was close behind in 50:28. Asilah Jarrald and Clare Melbourne were close with Asilah just getting in front at 51:27 and Clare in 51:36 and both smashed their PBs Well Done! Phil Hall finished in 57:44 which he was pleased with as he had not run for some time.

Honiton’s Kevin Hawker won the Axe Valley Runners’ Axmouth Challenge 10 miler in a time of 1 hour and 14 seconds. Adam Hennessey had a great race to come 8th in 1:06:13. David Hawker also ran well to come 12th in 1:10:09 and Rod Inglis managed a category prize coming 19th in 1:15:41. Steve Davey was pleased to come 24th in 1:17:55 after suffering from a virus over Christmas. Hadleigh Davies was next back coming 28th in 1:20:54 with Judy Davey not too far behind coming 31st in 1:21:22. She was the only Honiton lady so had the dubious accolade of coming 1st and last lady for the club as well as last back overall for Honiton! There were 58 finishers. Howard Bidmead has suffered from injury recently and is only running short distances. He decided to give the 5 mile version a go despite the hills. He came 4th overall in 48:56 and was 1st in his category. The winner was Simon Davis in 35:45 and there were 17 finishers. The distance actually measured more like 5 ½ miles and with the ’10 mile’ version only measuring 9.1, Howard may as well have run the extra 3 ½ miles! There was also a 3 mile run and a 1 mile run mainly for the children. Several Honiton youngsters took part in the 1 miler with Max Spiller first for Honiton coming 8th in 12:18. His sister, Ella, came 12th in 13:47 and brothers Ben, Charlie and 3 year old Harry Entwistle completed the HRC line up to come 13th in 15:22, 15th in 15:43 and 22nd in 19:23 respectively.