Trotters get serious at Bideford Half

Bideford Half-Marathon 2/3/08
Reading Half-Marathon 2/3/08
The Terminator 24/2/08

Many of the region's runners look forward to the Bideford Half-Marathon as an event that signals the start of the serious racing season. The 2008 Bideford Half was no different: 27 Teignbridge Trotters set out on Sunday (March 2) morning with a serious agenda. And several returned from north Devon gilded with glory.

The weather was bright and breezy, although the course offered plenty of shelter from the wind. Dave Tomlin came 6th overall with a time of 1.16.18. John Crocker was next, in 1.27.25, and Gary Watson (1.29.00) was the third Trotter home. Bryan Hayes picked up first place in the Male Over-65 category, with a time of 1.39.09. Tracy Elphick (1.34.53), Clare Youngman (1.37.28) and Bridget Scholfield (1.39.37) took second place in the Veteran Ladies' Team event.

Two half-marathon club records also fell at Bideford on Sunday. Siobhan Besford's 1.46.10 gave her a new record in the Junior Ladies' category and Tina Caunter (1.47.15) broke the Female Over-50 record. Stephen Wallace had a good day, too: after four previous cracks at this race, his time of 1.52.37 was a course Personal Best.

Also running were: Mark Becker (1.33.31), Mark Hamling (1.35.43), Andrew Ludlam (1.36.12), John Johnson (1.38.58), Dave Dunn (1.40.48), Mark Wotton (1.42.52), Nigel Penwarden (1.45.12), Steve Rawlinson (1.49.54), Sarah Ingham (1.51.57), Paul Scholfield (1.52.15), Graham Penn (1.53.03), Eleanor Taylor (1.53.03), Alastair Lee (1.54.47), Jo Becker (2.03.45), Amanda Milverton (2.09.13), Marion Witham (2.31.05) and Pauline Newsholme (2.53.50).

Also on Sunday, four Trotters completed the Reading Half-Marathon. This large-scale event (more than 11,000 runners finished the course) contained two long uphill drags - and lots of other runners. Julia Proctor battled through the crowds to finish in 1.43.02. Michelle Willocks-Watts ground out a PB of 1.49.27. Jan Caunter clocked 1.50.14 and Pete Vine crossed the line in 1.51.25.

Last Sunday (February 24), 20 Royal Blues - and one honorary Trotter - travelled to the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire to take part in an event ominously entitled The Terminator. They were also joining groom-to-be Ian Langler for an unforgettable stag weekend.

Described by the organisers as "the race that bites back", The Terminator takes in more than 10 miles of multi-terrain challenges, including hills, water and plenty of mud. These minor distractions didn't seem to bother Dave Tomlin who came 11th overall, in 1.19.05. Andy Pepperell finished in the top 100, with a time of 1.27.38. The man of the moment, Ian Langler, posted a respectable 1.41.38.

The rest of the stag party were: Ewan Walton (1.32.09), Mark Becker (1.35.30), Roger Hayes (1.37.07), Gary Watson (1.40.34), Roger Hales (1.45.23), John Tweedie (1.46.03), Simon Mayo (1.49.52), Dave Dunn (1.52.04), John Skinner (1.52.13), Chris Wride (1.53.23), the honorary Trotter Kevin Thompson (1.54.03), Andrew Ludlam (1.57.11), Adrian Youngman (1.58.43), Pete Aston (2.01.18), Stewart Dunn (2.02.44), Jimmy Donovan (2.16.42), Graham Penn (2.17.20) and (last but not least out of 822 finishers) the peerless Mike Fallon (2.55.11).