Golden Oldies Shine at Torbay (amended 23.6)

On Sunday a total of 27 Teignbridge Trotters spent the morning at the seaside where they took part in the Torbay Half Marathon. With many of the regular racers at the annual club camp it was a fantastic turn out for the club and amongst some great showings the golden oldies reigned supreme with some successes in the more senior age groups.
 

The weather bucked the recent trend and the race was run in warm conditions but with a pleasantly cooling breeze.
 

The course was changed this year with one lap of Paignton Green being substituted for a small loop via Torre Abbey on each of the 2 laps to make up the shortfall in distance. This was considered to be a great improvement. With the roads closed the course is eminently capable of taking far in excess of the 1,566 finishers and the support all the way along the course gave the race a special feel.
 

Leading the trotters home in 53rd place overall was Wavell Vigers battling hard to record an impressive 1.26.55. John Crocker was next across the line 110th in 1.32.54 followed by a determined Wilf Taylor in hot pursuit of his visiting friend from Musselburgh. Despite failing to vanquish his pal, in finishing 133rd in 1.34.08, Wilf was rewarded with 2nd MV60-64 prize. Founder of the Monday Ben 10 training group Ben Epps was next home 164th in 1.36.15 followed by the ever consistent Mark Hamling 202nd in 1.37.56. Phil Perry continues to take chunks out of his half marathon PB this time taking over 3 minutes off of his time 259th in 1.39.59. Howard Cotton put in a solid performance 328th in 1.42.30 and although over 60 places behind Howard (392nd) Julian head finished with a quicker chip time of 1.42.26. On his first outing since the Brighton Marathon in April Mark Keenan was next man home 415th in 1.45.01 immediately followed by the ever present Craig Churchill 416th in 1.45.13 and regular racer Peter Blakesey, despite a faster chip time of 1.44.42 was awarded 442nd position. Dave Taylor 459th, although disappointed with his time of 1.46.28 was first prize winner in the 65+ age category. Neil Pallant is another Trotter reaping rewards for hard training with 1.47.16 and 482nd position, he was followed by strongman Rex Barnes with a fine 505th debut position in 1.47.08. Graeme Baker despite being one of the oldest men in the race left several much younger men in his wake finishing 3rd MV65+, 526th in 1.48.05. Next royal blue was Richard Varley 532nd in 1.48.27 and running his second hard race of the weekend, Mark Wooton crossed the line 643rd in 1.52.28. First Trottette to finish was Kirsty Chrysanthanou 777th in a fine time of 1.55.50. Kevin Besford again dipped under the 2 hour mark for the 3rd time in recent races 827th in 1.57.29. Kevin was 14 minutes quicker than his time at this race in 2009.  Marathon queen Sally Ingledew set out steadily and worked her way through the field to record a 870th placing in 1.57.54. Making a rare appearance in the Trotter vest, Jeanette Howard ran a superb 1.59.00 to lift 2nd FV 55-59 prize and 880th overall. There followed a clutch of 4 Trotters in slightly over the 2 hour mark. Rock steady Steve Rawlinson was 921st in 2.00.54, Rod Payne 962nd crossed the line with wife Lucy 963rd both with identical times of 2.01.39. This was a fantastic PB for Lucy with a promise of more to come from her. Last of the quartet was Eleanor Taylor who despite never running comfortably bravely tackled the hills back to Paignton and finished 992nd in 2.01.57. 27 entered, 27 started and 27 finished and the trotter line up was completed by Julie Crocker 1,233rd in 2.13.44 and Jess Whitehouse running her first ever race smiling all the way to the line 1,355th in 2.20.43.

On the previous day the David Cameron and Nick Clegg of the Teignbridge Trotters Mark Wooton and Graham ‘Inky’ Penn travelled to the picturesque village of Meavy for the Burrator Horseshoe 7. The race forms part of the Meavy Oak Fair starts in the village and climbs steadily up through the woods to the dam at Burrator Reservoir. After skirting the edge of the reservoir it proceeds to climb the steepest Sheepstor escarpment before sweeping down and across the moor over ankle wrenching tussocks and through a bog before making another climb up Gutter Tor. At the top the runners are rewarded with fantastic views as they run along the ridge before descending all the way back down to wade through the river Meavy and back to a rapturous welcome in the village. The 150 runners battled gale force winds over the high ground. Mark ran a fine race finishing 81st in 59.30 and Inky was 103rd in 1.03.33.
 

On Wednesday evening Inky attended the 2nd Tin Tin Ten 10k race at Tintinhull near Yeovil. This is a friendly local event organised with the help of Chard Road Runners and centred around NT Tintinhull House and Gardens. Nice breezy conditions helped on the undulating multi terrain course which was very well marshalled. Inky managed to knock 2:44 off his effort at the inaugural race last year, with a time of 52:29 - crossing the uphill finish line 57th out of 120 runners.

Also on Sunday Stephen Wallace went to the little known village of Farway, south of Honiton for the Over the Hill and Farway 10k. Run in aid of the Farway Primary School, the race, in country lanes over a figure of eight course, is described as undulating with one truly memorable hill and Steve reckons the organizers did not exaggerate. ‘It seemed to go on forever’ says Steve who recorded an unofficial time of 58.28.
 

Report by Rod Payne (thanks to contributors Inky and Steve Wallace)
 

Photos: Top: Kirsty Chrysanthanou and Sally Ingledew - sisters in arms, Middle: Dave Taylor battling to 1st FV65+ at Torbay (photos by Ray Ingledew), Bottom: Mark Wotton - 2 races over the weekend (photo by Lucy Payne)