Tommo Scrambles to Victory and Team Prizes at Yarcombe

It was a full and busy weekend of racing for Teignbridge Trotters in far flung corners of the south west.
 

On Saturday 17 Trotters lined up at the start of the cross country Yarcombe Yomp faced with the option of the single lap 5 mile race or the choice of a second brutal lap to make up 10 miles.... The going was tough with bottomless mud, rutted and saturated fields, boulder strewn paths and woodland paths littered with fallen branches. Jo Becker picked up an injury on the first lap but bravely completed it but was forced to withdraw at 5 miles and was placed 10th in that race in 58.59 and Catherine Barnes was feeling under par and also unable to take on the second lap finishing 11th in 65.24. In the 10 mile race Daryl ‘Tarquin’ Milford was 3rd in 1.20.15, John Tweedy, still bang in form, was 8th in 1.24.14, Mike Eveleigh was 11th and 1st M60 in 1.25.52 and he was being run down at the finish by ‘storming’ Wilf Taylor 13th in 1.25.58. Travis Wood was 15th in 1.28.35, Mark Becker 18th in 1.30.55, Jim Donovan 32nd in 1.42.11, Neil Pallant 35th in 1.47.53 and first Trotter lady home was Tamsin Cook 37th in 1.50.56. Lucy Payne was 41st in 1.55.50 and 1st FV60 followed by Eleanor Taylor 43rd in 1.59.50. Rod Payne was 44th in 2.00.46, Guy Roberts 45th in 2.02.57, Jo Billyard 46th in 2.06.50 and Sarah Seymour 47th in 2.15.51. There were 48 finishers. All competitors were rewarded with free soup and rolls, cakes and tea a fine prize to round off a tough morning.

Also on Saturday 3 Trotters took on the 8th running of the 10.6k distance Sourton Scramble near Okehampton, a tough moorland race starting and finishing on the Granite Way. Dave 'Tommo' Tomlin had a storming race and won the event in a magnificent 43.44. Mark 'Wurzel' Wotton was 42nd in 58.07 and Sharon 'Fizz' Bowman 61st in 63.26. There were 84 finishers.
 

Sunday saw the running of our very’ own race The Templer Ten under the stewardship of Race Director John Caunter and 11th hour stand-in Chief Marshal Jan Caunter. Again you members rallied behind the club and contributed towards another great success. Due to heavy overnight rain conditions were tough going for the 231 finishers but conditions on the day were good. Amongst these were 5 Trotters. Rob Cowling was 72nd in 1.12.22 followed by Derek Blackford 141st in 1.25.46, Mark Wotton and his sister Ruth Johnson were 174th and 175th respectively in 1.32.41 and Nicky Quant was 183rd in 1.33.39.
 

Also on Sunday Graeme Baker was our sole representative for the latest round of Brooks Westward Cross Country League held in Newquay. On a tough, wet course in atrocious conditions he flew the flag in fine style to finish the 9.6k race 106th in 53.48.
 

Sunday also saw the running of the Plymouth 10k with just 4 Teignbridge Trotters amongst the 1,130 finishers. A slimline and resurgent Craig Churchill was 86th in a PB of 42.48, Chris Rogers who was 344th also had a PB of 50.06, Michelle Willcocks Watts was 630th in 56.30 and Glenn Jarvis was 689th in 56.31.
 

The 26th Stevenage Half Marathon in Hertfordshire took place on Sunday with Trotter Graham ‘Inky’ Penn amongst the 445 participants continuing in his quest to achieve 60 half marathons before his 60th birthday. In very wet conditions Graham completed the well organized, 2-lap course 310th in a time of 1.58.

On a recent holiday in the Lake District Lucy and Rod Payne took on the 25k option at the Ennerdale Trail Run. In unfamiliar surroundings on a tough technical course and amongst seasoned fell runners, Lucy ran a magnificent race to claim 1st FV60 prize finishing 50th out of 74 runners in 3.01.03 whilst Rod was 54th in 3.03.50.

Report by Rod Payne
 

Photos: Top, Mark Wotton and sister Ruth Johnson (courtesy of Fizz), Middle: Team Trotter at the Yarcombe Yomp. Bottom: Inky at Stevenage