Trotters out in Force and Dunnie goes Continental

The Bovey Tracey Half Marathon took place on Sunday 3rd July on a very hot day. This report is carried over as results were previously not to hand.
Due to not having a race certificate the race was withdrawn from the club championship and so only 10 trotters entered. It certainly showed in the entries with many absent club runners. Club vests weren’t worn and the results post no clubs for the runners. Apologies for any “Trotter” missed in the write up!
The course is very tough taking runners on a loop of Bovey Tracey before hitting the quieter lanes up to Liverton and back into Bovey.
Leading the Trotters home after already racing on Friday and Saturday was stalwart of the club Roger Hales (smokes) who did 1.36.41 and gained 3rd male vet 45-49. Next was the ever improving Phil Perry in 1.43.49 and gaining 3rd male vet 50-54. First trotter lady and 1st vet 40 female was Louise Bailey in 1.44.02 and she had also run the fastest leg at the Erme Valley relays on the Friday night. Gary Clark wasn’t far behind her in 1.44.54 and had also run the club trip and Erme valley relays the previous two days! Jackie Woon was next picking up 1st vet 45 female in 1.45.10 also doing the relays on the Friday. Peter Blakesley smiled his way across the line in 1.53.55. Joanna Haynes then appeared in 1.59.58 and keeping with the style of the “Trottettes” in this race won 1st vet 35 female in only one of a few races she has done since joining the trotters. Graham Penn popped over the line in 2.00.43 but not “Kelso” in tow as in the previous day’s club trip. Angela Blakesley came home in 2.10.27 with Stella Imong in her last race as a single woman, she will be married by the time this goes to print, in 2.16.27.

On Tuesday 5 July The Run Exe Summer 5km Series commenced with the 1st race in a series of 3 runs around a 2 lap flat traffic free course at the “Flowerpots” end of the Exeter canal run by There was warm sunshine for the Ironbridge Runner sponsored event although there was a head wind on the upper path of the loop. 86 runners took part and will hopefully be back on Tuesday August 2nd for their next attempt and a better time.
As part of the club championship it caught the interest of 11 trotters. All runners taking part in at least two events will be eligible for prizes in all the age categories. Times were as follows-
Daryl “Tarquin” Milford 7th in 17.20, Ian Langler 10th in 18.00, Nick Stevens 12th in 18.03, Gary Clark 37th in 20.28, Gary Watson 38th in 20.37, Roger Hales(smokes) 39th in 20.49, Peter Royle in his first race as a Trotter, 40th in 20.55, Emma Sidebotham 42nd in 21.07, John Caunter 54th in 22.43, Sharon Bowman(Fizz) 61st in 23.49 and Caroline Clark 63rd in 24.07. (Thanks to Fizz Bowman for the Bovey and 5k reports) 

On the previous Saturday 2nd July, Dave Dunn ran in a 10.2K race called Le Prix Pedestre at Saint Clair sur Elle in the Manche department near Saint Lo, finishing 51st out of 62 in a time of 51:05. The weather was very warm and sunny. The course was 3 laps, mostly road but with about 500m of forest track on each lap. Interestingly, the ladies started with the men, but their race was over only 2 laps - this is not uncommon in French races. The winner of the men’s race did 34:24. There were also 2 different races for children as well as a relay for teams of 3 adults, all on the same afternoon, and the prize-giving went on forever!

Then on Saturday 9th July, Dave ran a 21K multi-terrain point-to-point race called La Course de la Mere Denis, starting in Portbail and finishing at Carteret on La Cote des Iles in Manche. Again it was warm and sunny, though not as hot as the previous week. The course had sections of road, beach, riverside trails and stony tracks. A time of 1:44:19 gave Dave 94th place out of 156 finishers, both men & women. The winner's time was 1:09:40 with the 2nd place man just 28 seconds behind, and they were nearly 8 minutes clear of the 3rd placed finisher! (thanks to Dave Dunn for this contribution)

On Saturday 9 July three Trotters travelled to Plympton to run in the Duckponds 7km race. The evening race is organised by Plympton Road Runners and the event is run over a 2-lap course comprising grass, footpaths and woodland in and around Radcliffe Park.
On a very pleasant evening first Trotter home was Mark Wotton who seems to be popping up in every available race at present. On this outing Mark recorded a 65th place finish out of the 174 who completed in a time of 32.07. Next in 134th place was Amanda Milverton clocking 40.30 in a welcome return to racing then was Marion Witham, last seen at the Black Death Run, finishing 159th in 44.40.

On Sunday 10 July it was back to the Club Championship and the turn of the Wellington 10 in Somerset. There are two races on the same day, a 10 mile option and a 10km option. Only the 10 mile race is a championship race.
The day dawned overcast but fine and conditions were perfect for 12 Trotters to take on the brutal undulations of the 10 mile road race and a lone Trotter lined up at the 10k start. Both the races were superbly marshaled and there was a great atmosphere with a Samba Band and post race entertainment at the Wellington Rugby Club.
Despite the severity of the course, only 2 runners posted a time under the hour, Daryl ‘Tarquin’ Milford ran a fantastic PB of 1.02.02 taking more than a minute off his previous best to finish 5th. Regular racer Stephen Barker was next home 20th in 1.07.58. There was then a lapse of 13 minutes before the royal blue procession started. Andrew ‘Monkey’ Ludlam was 68th in a fine 1.20.43 followed by Stuart Moulson 70th in a solid 1.21.02 and Noel Fowler making it look easy 81st in 1.22.34. Not far behind Noel was Graeme Baker 90th in an amazing 1.23.46. Graeme’s time was around 6 minutes quicker than he achieved some 4 years previously. Caroline Clark just missed the 1.30 mark by 39 seconds in finishing 124th and Sally Ingledew was one place and 3 seconds behind in a very pleasing run for her. Tina Caunter seemed to be the announcer’s sweetheart for the day and she finished 131st in 1.32.01. The ever dependable Steve Rawlinson was a great motivator to Lucy Payne particularly in the closing stages. Lucy despite her languid style is deceptively fast but she was finding the hills tough and Steve encouraged her all the way to the end. Steve 140th in 1.34.59 and Lucy 141st in 1.35.12. The day was rounded of by Marsha Garrard who also found the going tough finishing 150th in 1.38.51.

In the Wellington 10k race the ever present figure of Mark Wotton was our sole representative in the 159 strong field and in his second race in 16 hours finished a lofty 34th in 48.41.

Report written and compiled by Rod Payne
 

Pictures Top: Team Trotter at Wellington (Tina was missing - was she with the announcer?) Middle: Dave Dunn in France. Bottom: Noel Fowler finishing the Wellington 10