Heller a Great Success and Still Time for Trophies at Chudleigh

After the recent heavy rain the annual “Chudleigh Carnival 6” road race was blessed with blue skies and warmth. The race attracted 152 runners of whom 40 wore the royal blue vest of Teignbridge Trotters. With it being in the championship it is always well supported with the race director being one of our members and coaches, Eleanor Taylor.
 

The first Trotter across the line was new member Jack Baker, who not only led the royal blues in but was 4th overall in a fantastic time of 32.05. Jack will be one to be looking out for in the very near future for sure. Daryl ‘Tarquin’ Milford was 6th in 32.29. Lance Mason took the 2nd vet 50 prize with 34.37 and 15th while Michael Eveleigh won the vet 60 with 24th place and 36.24.
 

The other Trotters came in as follows – Mark Hutchins 27th in 36.47, Chris Cleave 30th in 37.00, Gary Clark 31st in 37.16, Dan Wride 41st in 38.48, Stephen Barker 42nd in 38.50, Travis Wood 43rd in 38.56 and Peter Royle 44th in 38.57. The first Trotter lady was Helen Anthony in 39.48 and 49th. Matt McGrath was 50th in 39.55, Jacki Woon 51st in 40.04, Mark Becker 62nd in 41.29, Stuart Moulson 66th in 42.10, Ross Becker, in his first race for a few years ran 42.34 for 68th place, Neil Pallant 42.50 for 70th, Gary Caunter 73rd in 43.02, Chris Wride 74th in 43.14, Sharon ‘Fizz’ Bowman 75th in 43.23, Craig Churchill 77th in 43.29, Dave Dunn 92nd in 46.00, Jim Donavan 94th in 46.42, Keith Anderson 96th in 47.09, Katrina Duignan 100th in 47.47, Caroline Clarke 106th in 48.26, Rod Payne 119th in 49.05 Tina Caunter ran 49.09 and was 111th to won 1st female vet 50, Jess Whitehouse 118th in 49.54, Derek Blackford 119th in 49.59, Lucy Payne 120th in 50.01, Beverley Dennis 122nd in 50.33, Guy Roberts 127th in 51.10, Joanne Becker 131st in 51.56, Catherine Barnes 132nd in 52.52, Sharon Hutchins 135th in 53.26, Roger Hales 138th in 54.17, Stella Imong 141st in 55.22 and Jo Billyard in 145th in 56.27.
 

Report by Fizz
 

On Saturday Roger Hales, Roger Hayes, Allen Taylor and John Tweedy all took part in the Ilmington Marathon, a self-navigation, hilly, off-road course with lots of mud. This was the Allen and Tweed’s first experience of such an event. They got lost only once, ironically just 400m after the start and this added nearly a mile to the extremely tough route. All ran together and completed the tough course in 5.28.22. Testimony to the severity of the course and terrain the winning time was just under 5 hours so our team acquitted themselves really well. Poor Sally Ingledew however was forced to withdraw from the race at 9 miles through injury.
 

Also on Saturday Teignbridge Trotters hosted the 27th running of the Haytor Heller. For those of you that have been on another planet The Heller is a stunningly beautiful race run over the most spectacular terrain on Dartmoor National Park. Once more you, the members, have thrown yourselves behind the organisation of the race and the testimonials are already coming in. As most of the club members were helping at the race there were only 9 Trotters in the line-up. Geoff Davey finished 14th in 47.51 followed by Charlie Ross 25th in 49.55, Chris Cleave 31st in 50.29, Mark Hutchins 35th in 51.22, Howard Cotton 79th in 57.47, Neil Pallant 115th in 1.01.44, Filipe Da Silva 119th in 1.02.40, Rex Barnes 127th in 1.03.34 and Tony Stepney 233rd in 1.19.43. There were 257 finishers.

On Sunday lone Trotter Mark Wotton travelled to Wool in Dorset for the mainly off-road Durberville Dash 10k. The race starts and finishes at the local cricket club and apart from a short road section the route is mainly on tracks through fields and woodland. The race is really well organised and in a field of 160 finishers Mark was 47th in a time of 48.46.
 

Report by Rod Payne
 

Photos: Top; Race Director Graham Buzz Terrill presiding over a ‘Heller’va successful race. Middle; Neil Pallant tackling the Dartmoor Hills at the Heller. Bottom; Some of the 40 Trotters at The Chudleigh 6 last Friday.