Nine Trotters turned up in near perfect conditions to tackle the City Run RunExe 5k on Tuesday 2nd July. The RunExe 5k is run as a series, with races the 1st Tuesday of each month from April – September, with the option to just enter individual races. The July race forms part of the Instep Devon Championship, which bought the Trotters out in force.The race is a traffic free and pancake flat 5km run on footpaths and cycle tracks around Exwick Playing Fields and the River Exe Flood Relief. New to 2024 they are trailing 2 wave starts with the aim of reducing congestion at the start. Wave 1 is aimed at runners under 19 minutes, and wave 2, which starts 1 minute later, is for runners over 19 minutes. Feedback from the field suggests this has helped with congestion for wave 1, however, with the larger majority of runners starting in wave 2, this wave still felt pretty congested. The race features the infamous City Run ‘Shut Up Legs’ pacers for 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 minutes which is great for chasing a PB.

Steve Weeks was the first Trotter home in 19:12, followed by James Saunders 19:27.Chloe Weeks with a new PB and cracking sub-20 in a time of 19:40, Melanie Brooks and Liz Nuttall both coming over the line in 19:51, Kathryn Steemson 22:41, Craig Churchill 25:39, quickly followed by his son, Charlie Churchill 25:59 and Callum Price 26:31.

Well done to all and Charlie (guitar legend) Churchill as I do believe that was his first Trotters race....

On Sunday 7th July 4 trotters ( 2 husband & wife teams) Paul and Shaz Sharples & Adam & Michelle Doherty took on the Acronyms Tamar 10k starting at Marine Academy Plymouth. There was free parking and bus transport to the start from Milehouse park and ride in the morning. The race started at 8.30am on mostly closed roads with 565 people. The draw being running across the iconic Tamar Bridge so thus running from Devon to Cornwall and back again twice! It also had a rather nasty climb that you did twice with an uphill finish back at the Academy.

Shaz completed in 59.25( gun times) :279th. Paul 59.27 :280th. Michelle 1.05.30: 391st and Adam 1.05.30 :392nd.

They were rewarded with a t shirt. Nice medal and a pack of cakes! Great atmosphere and the sun shone! 

Bob Small took on the Droitwich Half Marathon in Worcestershire on Sunday 30th June in preparatoin for his September Marathon. This Droitwich Half Marathon race is a hilly road course taking you through quiet country lanes of Droitwich.

Bob quoted: The Droitwich Half Marathon is a very low key event run around the extremely rural but slightly ‘lumpy’ lanes of deepest Worcestershire. A charming event which is very well organised by Droitwich AC. Just 125 runners toed the line, Me being one of them. I was there as part of his build up for a marathon in September, aiming to run at marathon pace and wanting to finish the race feeling as if I could go on for another 13 miles. Objective achieved in that I finished in good order in just 2.01.20 in 60th position. 2nd MV70 and possibly 1st MV75. The race was won in 70.08 by Max Parker from one of the local running clubs. A lovely event with a 10K as well with 140 runners.

Well done Bob well on your way to your September marathon.

On Sunday 7 July Rod and Lucy Payne took to the streets of southampton for the Lordshill 10k orginized by the Lordshill Road Runners and advertise themselves as Southampton's Friendliest Running Club. Starting from Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill, Romsey Road, Southampton it is a fast and flat out-and-back course along quiet countryside lanes.

Rod quoted. On Sunday Lucy and I were in Hampshire where we took part in the Lordshill 10k. The weather was a mixed bag of showers and sunshine. In a field of over 700 runners we ran together in the shadow of the 60 minute pacers. On a gently undulating course but with an uphill finish it was job done as we achieved an unofficial time of 59.08. The race was well organised with plenty of marshalls. Lucy was rewarded for her efforts with an FV70 3rd place trophy. I was 613rd and Lucy 614th in a field of 768.

Well done you two.