Races Galore and Hot to Trot at the Wellington 10

Tuesday evening saw the start of a busy week of Championship racing for the Teignbridge Trotters at Round 2 of the Run Exe 5k organised by Ironbridge Runner. After a day of heavy rain the weather relented and the race was run in dry but humid conditions.

In a field of 88 Daryl Tarquin Milford came home in hot pursuit of the winner in a time of 16.40. Lance Mason was 17th and 2nd MV50 in a time of 18.18 followed by Travis Wood 24th in 19.08 and Gary Clark 28th in 19.23. John Crocker was 45th in 20.27, Bruce Campbell 47th in 20.32 followed by our sole Lady representative Jacki Woon who was 58th in 21.29. Peter Kirby was 67th and 2nd MV60 in 23.13 followed by Keith Anderson 69th in 23.49 and Rod Payne bringing the Royal Blues home 72nd in 23.59.

On Friday a total of 44 Trotters made up 7 men’s and 4 ladies’ teams to partake in the Erme Valley Relays. Each team member runs a 2.5 mile leg and there was added incentive for the Trotters as individual times count towards the Club Championship. Despite the quest for points our contingent of runners was to a man (or woman) hugely supportive of all their teammates and each Trotter received a rapturous welcome at the end of each leg.

The Men’s A team of Adam Caunter (13.42), Peter Royle (15.54), Travis Wood (15.22) and Daryl Milford (13.17) was 13th in a very strong field in 58.15. The MV40 team of Wavell Vigers (14.32), Steve Barker (17.07), Gary Clark (14.25) and Stuart Moulson (17.39) was 31st in 63.43 followed by the Men’s B team, Ian Langler (16.07), Stewart Dunn (15.32), Craig Churchill (17.23) and Chris Cleave (15.41), 34th in 64.43. Other results were: MV40 B team Mark Hutchins (15.53), Bruce Campbell (16.07), Mark Becker (17.03) and John Tweedie (15.53) 36th in 64.56, MV 50 team Lance Mason (14.36), Alan Boone (15.40), Gary Watson (17.28) and Chris Wride (17.29) 38th in 65.13, Ladies’ A team Helen Anthony (16.37), Jess Parkes (18.27), Carrie Anne Hewings (16.37) and Eyvoll Aston (16.56) 49th in 68.37. The MV60 team was first in their category Mike Eveleigh (15.27), Wilf Taylor (16.29), Peter Kirby (18.14) and Keith Anderson (19.53) 51st in 70.03. The FV 45 team also took top honours in their category, Becky George (18.56), Sharon Bowman (17.45), Sue Hewings (18.39) and Jacki Woon (16.58) 56th in 72.18. Sadly due to an administrative error our girls were not called forward to receive their prizes on the night. The Men’s C team Guy Roberts (22.19), Jimmy Donovan (19.28), Rod Payne (19.30) and Neil Pallant (17.51) was 77th in 79.08, the Ladies B team Kirsty Chrysanthou (19.49) Jess Whitehouse (20.29), Sharon Hutchins (21.39) and Sarah Schutte (18.19) 79th in 80.16 and the FV 45 team of Lucy Payne (21.15), Eleanor Taylor (20.05), Jo Becker (20.57) and Jo Billyard (23.11) 82nd in 85.28. Despite the poor weather conditions and the very soggy course the evening was a massive success with a record 90 teams taking part.
 

On Sunday 20 Teignbridge Trotters took part in the Wellington 10 Mile road race. The race is run over a really tough and hilly course through country lanes and at no stage do you appear to be running on the flat. There are long uphill and downhill sections that make it hard to settle into any kind of rhythm.

Results are as follows: Daryl ‘Tarquin’ Milford was 4th in a field of 144 in a time of 1.01.59, Lance Mason was 8th and 3rd V40 in a very pleasing 1.04.50, Chris Cleave was 17th in 1.08.10 and Geoff Davey 18th in 1.09.13. Gary Clark was 20th in 1.09.28 with Helen Anthony running a fine race 40th in 1.15.55. Daniel Wride was 44th in 1.17.34, Peter Royle 47th in 1.18.07 and Stuart Moulson 52nd in 1.19.52. Chris Wride was 55th in 1.20.29, Sharon ‘Fizz’ Bowman despite a punishing sequence of racing is still running well and was 62nd in 1.22.59. Following recent injuries, Caroline Clark came back well and was 80th in 1.29.00, followed by Rod Payne 889th in 1.31.41, Kevin Besford 92nd in 1.33.05 and Tina Caunter 94th in 1.33.15. Katrina Duignan was 103rd in 1.37.03 and was magnificent in accompanying super-vet Lucy Payne to a new FV60 Club Record of 1.37.07 and 104th place. Chris Rogers, despite living within walking distance of the race HQ and with local knowledge was nevertheless surprised by the severity of the course. He battled his way to 120th in 1.41.08, Sarah Seymour put in another solid performance 129th in 1.46.03 and Sam Gee completed the Trotter line-up 140th in 2.04.02.

Mark Wotton is still on his travels in the USA and finding interesting races to run. This time he took part in the Firecracker 10 in Atlantic Beach on the 95th Boardwalk. The race is a low key event but with chip timing and follows an out and back route. Despite a 7.30am start the race was run in 99 degree temperatures so the generous supply of water throughout was very welcome. Mark suffered in the heat and with all the walking he has been doing around New York he found the going tough, particularly the latter stages. However he still finished 41st out of 114 finishers in 1.31.54.

Graham Penn, accompanied by his faithful Border Collie Kelso and Sarah Schutte (not a Border Collie) took part in the inaugural Fingle Dash an overdistance 10k race in Cheriton Bishop. Sarah’s Garmin recorded a distance of 7.9 miles so 10k is a stretch of the imagination. The race is organised by the staff of the local primary school and the two lap couse encompasses part of the Drogo 10 course familiar to many of our members. The climbs, although long and tough, yielded rewarding views of Fingle Gorge. To add to the fun conditions were humid and it was wet and muddy underfoot following the recent rain. In a field of 46 Sarah was 13th in 1.16.53 and Inky and Kelso were 17th in 1.22.33.

Over the weekend our marathon-mad trio of Sally Ingledew, Roger ‘Smokes’ Hales and Chairman Roger Hayes were in Milton Keynes for the Enigma Summer Festival a combination of 30 mile ultra races and Marathons. Sally opted for the marathon on both days and finished in 4.43.32 and 5.35.14 respectively. Smokes opted for the Ultra distance on Saturday and completed in 4.34.39 and the Marathon on Sunday where he completed the course in 4.41.07. Chairman Rog also opted for the Ultra / Marathon combination finishing 4th in the Ultra in 4.11.08 and for the Marathon he recorded a time of 4.20.59. Both Sally and Chair are now carrying niggling injuries that are playing a significant part in their times. The weather stayed dry for the weekend and the sun even put in a welcome appearance as the runners made their way around the 3.5 mile route by the shores of Caldecott Lake. The weekend saw Sally complete her 94th Marathon, Smokes his 87th and Chairman his 83rd as they all relentlessly hunt down the coveted 100 marathon landmark. At the rate they are all ticking them off the target is very much in sight for all of them.
 

Report by Rod Payne
 

Pictures: Top; Trotters at the Run Exe 5k. Middle: Fizz in fine form at the Wellington 10. Bottom: Our runners at the Wellington 10