Busy Bank Holiday weekend for Trotters

Neolithic Marathon and Half-Marathon 4/5/08
Great West Run 4/5/08
Saltash Half 4/5/08
Kernow May 5 5/5/08

The Teignbridge Trotters were racing across the region over the long Bank Holiday weekend, underlining the strength in depth of this active south Devon club.

Seven Trotters journeyed to Avebury for the Neolithic Marathon and Half-Marathon, organised by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The course follows the historic Sarsen Trail, linking the stone circle at Avebury with Stonehenge. The event was also open to walkers, who were a great source of encouragement to the runners during what could have been some long, lonely stretches.

The challenging, undulating course included several long uphill drags. Intermittent rain and mild temperatures greeted the Trotters, most of whom were using the race as part of their training for the Dartmoor Discovery, a 32-mile ultra-marathon on June 7. Roger Hayes led the club home in a time of 3.09.07, securing 6th position overall out of 232 finishers.

Roger Hales posted 3.31.31, John Tweedie clocked 3.44.57, Dave Dunn finished in 3.56.56, Julia Proctor logged 4.17.38 and Michelle Willocks-Watts crossed the line in 4.47.04. Stella Imong opted for the Neolithic Half-Marathon course, which she completed in 2.06.26.

Also on Sunday, a group of Trotters took on the Great West Run in Exeter. Despite humid conditions, Mark Hamling led the Royal Blues home in 1.38.55. Graham Penn was next, with a time of 1.51.27. Richard Pidsley (1.53.39), Richard Keatley (1.55.45) and Dennis Milstead (2.00.51) completed the men's contingent. Pauline Newsholme made yet another foray into the club's record books on Sunday. Her time of 2.46.36 shaved around 30 seconds off her previous F65 record.

Meanwhile, further west, another band of Trotters tackled the Saltash Half-Marathon. The Trotter herald at this event was Ewan Walton, who recorded a time of 1.38.00. Mark Wotton clocked 1.52.17, Sharon Bowman finished in 1.57.24, Steve Wallace ran home in 2.01.05 and Steve Rawlinson crossed the line in 2.01.49.

On Monday, Mark Wotton ran off any tiredness in his legs remaining from the previous day's exertions at Saltash by scampering round the Kernow May 5 miles in 38.31.