Trotters tackle forests, bad cows and trains...

If you go down to the woods today,
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to the woods today,
You'd better go in disguise.
For many runner that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the Coasters have their Flyer.

The Forest Flyer race, organised by our sister club Dawlish Coasters, is part of the Trotters Club Championship meaning you're sure to see a sea of blue and green vests in among the woodland.

2015’s friendly, well organised 5(ish) mile race saw 125 runners turn out with the Royal Blues making up 42 of the competitors taking part. While it may have yielded a few surprises the mainly off-road route is certainly no picnic.

Tim Pratt chased the top three runners hard, leading the Blues home in 30.07 and coming fourth overall. Ladies captain Helen Anthony continues to throw up dust in her wake landing the first lady honour in 32.14 for 13th place.

Adam Johnstone was fifth in 30.21 and Jamie Barnett completed the top male Trotter 1-2-3 coming seventh in the overall standings in a time of 31.09.

There were lots of great personal bests too with Bev Dennis knocking a sizable chunk off her previous time. Nathan Elphick made a return to racing after struggling with a long-term injury and it was a welcome ‘hello’ to the word of racing for Claire Ayling who made her debut in the club vest and did brilliantly to clock well under the hour on a tough route.

Trotters taking part were: Kevin Woodard 33.37 17th, Tom Besford 34.28 19h, Martin Randall 34.41 22nd, Ian Langler 34.44 23rd, Julian Scanes 34.56 25th, Mark Hutchins 35.20 29th, Roger ‘Smokes’ Hales 35.35 31st, Tracy Elphick 36.06 35th, Derek Skinner 36.16 37th, Alan Boone 36.35 38th, Jon Grimes 36.50 40th, Dermot Smyth 36.55 41st, Graydon Widdicombe 37.17 43rd, Peter Blakesley 38.18 47th, Gary Watson 38.34 51st, Jacki Woon 39.09 53rd, Jo Randall 39.31 58th, Jim Donovan 39.34 59th, Nigel Barnett 40.05 60th, Keith Anderson 40.18 61st, Stu Moulson 41.12 62nd, Richard Keatley 41.53 65th, Jennie Roberts 41.56 67h, Dave Dunn 42.16 68th, Kirsty Bowman 42.39 69th, Kathryn Steemson 44.27 80th, Kevin Besford 44.46 84th, Bev Dennis 45.33 88th, Ruth Johnson 45.54 90th, Chris ‘Smiler’ Wride 46.30 95th, Tina Caunter 46.38 96th, Eleanor Taylor 46.54 97th, Lisa Godfrey 47.41 101st, Emma Pearcy 47.52 102nd, Cath Pilton 49.48 106th, Claire Ayling 52.15 114th, Nathan Elphick 52.16 115th, Karen O’Brien 56.36 118th.

*Kat Zaple put on a gritty performance to struggle through an injury and complete the Severn Bridge half marathon on Sunday 30 August. Putting mind over matter, the gutsy runner crossed the finish line in (a very respectable) 2:05.09. Around 2,400 runners took part in the 13.1-mile race which starts on the Chepstow end of the ‘old’ Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway, looped through villages in England before going back over the bridge.

*White Star Running’s new Bad Cow weekender saw a small group of Trotters represented across the marathon and 10k distances. The weekender, in Poole, consists of a double marathon weekend on 22 and 23 August 2015, in and around the grounds of Holton Lee country park. It incorporates a twilight 10K on Saturday and a Sunday half marathon.

Mark ‘Wurzel’ Wotton completed the Saturday marathon in 5:11.12 and 61st out of 109 competitors. He came 68th in 5:38.48 in the Sunday event which was also attended by marathon stalwarts Lance Mason and Sally Ingledew. Our men’s captain Lance clocked 3:41.07 for ninth overall and first M55 with Sally placed 50th in 4:57.50. There were 103 runners. In the 10k on Saturday evening Derek Blackford was 47th in 56.13, Mark Walker was 85th in 1:08.01. There were 134 finishers.

*On 15 August 2015, Lisa Godfrey travelled to Wales to take part in the famous Race the Train races. Race the Train is organised by The Rotary Club of Tywyn in aid of their chosen charities. Hundreds of runners take the challenge to beat the train over challenging cross country courses in Tywyn, West Wales. There's a main race of 14 miles, a 10k, a 5.5 and a 3.5miler too. It’s been voted one of the top 100 ‘must do events before you die’ by Runners World. Fortunately, Lisa, pictured, has lived to tell the tale. She completed the 10k Quarry Challenge in 1:14.29 and said: “I had a great time, the support was fantastic and the area was so beautiful. Nice and sunny for the run! Very tough and extremely hilly 10k route, lots of mud and a few streams.”

Report by Emma Pearcy

Thanks to Lisa Godfrey for the photos.