Category prizes galore picked up by the travelling Trotters this weekend.......

On a cool windy evening on Saturday 11th May, twenty two Teignbridge Trotters ran the annual “Ivybridge 10K” organised by Erme Valley Harriers. This spectacularly scenic race starts in Ivybridge Station Car Park and finishes at Ivybridge Rugby Club. The course is relatively fast, despite the steep hill from Bittaford to Moorhaven. The last 6km of the route are almost all downhill, making for a fast 2nd half of the race.

Ewan Walton in fine form raced strongly and posted 30th in 37.47, while the next Trotter to appear was Craig Churchill in 42.22 for 98th place. Mark Becker was next, chasing Craig down for 110th in 43.01, while Gary Watson was back in racing mode recording 43.17 for 115th, gaining him 1st male vet 55. Filipe Da Silva was 150th in 44.21, Rob Cowling did 45.19 in 176th and Mark Hutchins was 191st in 46.03.

Melanie Dunn brought the ladies home in 46.23 in 202nd, showing that all her training for the London Marathon hadn’t been wasted after having to withdraw in the last few days leading up to it due to having  flu. Next home was Jess Parkes in 46.59 for 218th, new trotter Jenny Jones did 48.40 in 266th, and Jimmy Donavon did 48.56 for 273rd. Joanne Haynes was 327th in 50.59, Derek Blackford ran 51.45 for 348th, Eleanor Taylor was 355th with 52.06, Ruth Johnson did 52.18 in 364th, Tamsin Cook 53.05 in 391st, Jo Becker 54.10 in 425th, Jo Billyard 55.19 in 455th, Sharon Hutchins a personal best of 55.23 for 456th, Bev Dennis 55.26 in 459th, Selina Snow was 491st in 57.24, Steve Rawlinson 58.52 in 526th, Rachel Pallant 58.55 for 527th, Nicky Cowling 530th in 59.06, and Heather Snow did 1.07.04 to be 624th out of 652 runners.

Stephanie Parker went to Sheffield to run the “32nd Sheffield Half Marathon” and posted a personal best time of 2.12.10 in only her second half marathon. The event attracted over 6000 runners and was first held in 1985. The race started and finished in the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.

The annual Teignbridge Trotter club trip took place on Sunday 12th May. They travelled up by coach to compete in the “Jack 'n' Jill Challenge” which was 10kish of challenging off road running with virtually no tarmac to be seen. The course takes you through beautiful countryside, rolling fields, hidden valleys, footpaths and woodland tracks, over styles and the odd river or three, starting and finishing from Haydon Que Club, Kilmersdon Road, Radstock. The weather stayed dry but their feet certainly didn’t. 28 Trotters ran while some of the children took part in the “fun run”, which Tom Besford won not only the race but also the prize for first under 16 boy home.

Daryl “Tarquin” Milford brought the Trotter party home in 40.09 for 4th place out of 162 runners. This gave him the first male vet 40 prize. Next to appear was Ewan Walton in 42.41 and 10th place, having only raced the evening before in Ivybridge. Alan Boone was 16th in 43.58 and picked up 2nd male vet 50 award. Ian Langler helped the lads win the prize for 2nd male team with a time of 47.13 in 29th. Mark Becker, also fresh from Ivybridge, did 49.30 in 43rd, being chased all the while by Wilfred Taylor who completed in 49.57 for 46th, picking up 1st male vet over 60 despite struggling with a recent injury.

Sarah Schutte brought the ladies home with a strong time of 50.48 in 49th, while Gary Watson was 53rd in 52.25 after also completing Ivybridge, with Neil Pallant in his wake in 52.31 for 54th. Marathon men Roger Hayes and Roger Hales ran in 68th and 69th respectively with 53.32, Stuart Moulson recovering from a recent injury lay off did 53.44 in 71st, and Noel Fowler was 78th in 55.10. Keith Anderson ran 58.31 for 95th and Graeme Baker was 98th in 59.06. Sharon Bowman kept chasing Graeme all the way around and posted 1.01.12 for 103rd place, only to realise at the last stream crossing that her daughter Kirsty was hot on her heels in 105th place with 1.01.35. The two of them, together with Sarah, made up 2nd ladies team home like the men.

Next came four Trotter ladies chasing Rod Payne, the club's coach co-ordinator, who posted 1.02.42 in 110th. Eleanor Taylor was 111th in 10.2.49 after racing at Ivybridge, picking up 1st female vet over 50, Lucy Payne, Rod's wife, was 112th in 1.02.51 for 1st female vet over 60, Ruth Johnson ran 1.02.53 for 113th less than 24 hours after Ivybridge, and Tina Caunter was 114th in 1.03.06 to be second female vet over 50.

Sarah Seymour was next to finish in 1.03.43 for 119th, Jo Becker, who also raced Ivybridge, ran 1.04.19 in 121st, Guy Roberts 1.05.53 in 129th, Bev Dennis, another Ivybridge runner, 1.06.23 in 131st, Kevin Besford, the trip organiser, 1.09.41 in 144th, while Mark Wotton raced in a tiger suit to finish 162nd in 1.18.09.

After the presentations and some refreshements, the coach took them to a local public house where they all enjoyed a meal and drinks. Thank you Kevin for organising another good trip.

Report by Fizz

PHOTOS - TOP - “Tiger Feet” Mark Wotton with some of the club trip runners MIDDLE - El at the Jack 'n' Jill Challenge BOTTOM - The Ivybridge girls