Trotters enjoy a "Toddle" in the autumn sunshine ..........

Helen Anthony ran a coastal marathon that made the first day of a 3 day" coastal challenge" along the Atlantic coast in Cornwall on Friday 4th October. The marathon took the runners from Constantine Bay (nr Padstow) and followed the South West coast path for a marathon distance, with the last two miles involving running the entire length of Perranporth beach. The weather was fantastic, allowing runners to full appreciate the stunning scenery along that stretch of coast and Helen finished in 7th place (2nd lady) in a time of 4.20.51.

Mark Wotton ran the “Clarandon marathon” on Sunday 6th October and the race started at Laverstock in Salisbury and followed tracks, fields and woodland to Winchester with plenty of undulating big hills along the route.
His time by his watch was 4.59 with about 150 running the marathon and there were a lot of relay runners taking part.

In Christow lying in the Teign Valley, the annual 10.25 mile undulating “14th Teign Valley Toddle” enticed 30 Teignbridge trotters to enjoy the morning on Sunday 6th October. With the sun blazing like a summer’s day it made the course somewhat tougher but it was a well ran and organised event with super cakes after for the hungry hot runners who sat outside the community hall enjoying the autumn weather. This was the biggest number of runners to date of 102.

Ewan Walton having a really strong run brought the trotter’s home in 65.08 and he gained 3rd place and 2nd in his male vet category which was one place higher than last year for him. Alan Boone struggling with injury was 16th in 74.32 while Bruce Campbell was 25th in 76.32.Mark Hutchins was next in 76.55 and 28th while Wilfred Taylor raced into 31st in 77.09 and picked up 1st male vet 60.
Other trotters did the following 34th (77.58) Gary Clark, 38th (79.11) John Tweedie, 39th ( 81.11) Jon Grimes, Sarah Schutte was first trotter lady across the line and was 40th (81.19 ), 42nd (81.34) Mark Becker, 44th ( 82.00 ) Jacki Woon. Stuart Moulson did 47th ( 83.07 ), Chris Wride 48th ( 83.21), Nathan Elphick 49th ( 83.28),Pete Hayward 50th (83.52) ,57th ( 86.39) Keith Anderson, 67th ( 91.02 )Ryan Anthony, 71st ( 91.35) Sharon Bowman, 73rd ( 92.41 )Eleanor Taylor, 74th ( 92.43 )Tamsin Cook ,75th (92.45) Emma Pearcy , 79th (95.06 )Derek Blackford, 82nd (97.26) Ruth Johnson, 89th (103.06) Beverley Dennis ,90th (103.22) Sharon Hutchins ,91st ( 103.42 )Sally Ingledew , 93rd ( 105.26 )stella imong and 96th (107.07) Hayley brown. Unfortunately Joanne Becker couldn’t complete the race.

The "Lloyds Bank Cardiff Half Marathon" boasts one of the most stunning 13.1 mile courses around on Sunday 6th October. Daryl Milford and Catherine Barnes took part in the city event. The race starts outside Cardiff Castle and runners head down past Cardiff City Stadium on the way to Penarth. Runners run right through the heart of the bay taking in the Norwegian Church and Wales Millennium Centre. The course then heads towards the north of the city and runners complete a loop of the beautiful Roath Park Lake before the grandstand finish in the heart of the city at the Civic Centre.
Daryl “Tarquin” Milford completed in 1.22.13 in 224th place while Catherine Barnes did 2.14.22 in 9803 place out of the 14226 runners who completed the course!

Up in London, new member Abigail Blee ran the “Royal Parks Half marathon”. The start gathered at Hyde Park with about 15,000 people. The course took the runners through Hyde Park, into London, across the London Bridge, the London eye, Buckingham palace and back through London before finishing back in Hyde Park. Her previous PB for a half was 1 hour 50 minutes a year ago. She ran the race well, keeping under 8min miles until about mile 6 where she started to struggle. The support the whole way round was insane; there wasn’t a corner in London empty with so many people coming out to cheer. She crossed the finishing line in 1 hour 43 seconds with an overall position out of 14,841 was 1894!

Report by Fizz

PHOTOS –TOP-Most of  the toddlers ! MIDDLE-Wilf and Ewan with their trophies BOTTOM-A very happy Abigail