Trotters make the most of the long weekend!

Graydon Widdicombe travelled to the Dinton Easter Challenge on Wednesday 28th March, near Reading. Brilliantly organised by Running Miles, this event is a lapped course around Dinton Pastures Country Park, where competitors can do as many laps as they want within the 6 hours. Each lap is 3.3 miles long, and the conditions on the day were very wet, and the terrain very muddy and waterlogged in places, but it was a great event.

Graydon wasn’t sure how he was going to get on as he was nursing a rib injury after taking a tumble at the previous Sunday's LDWA event, but he got through the marathon point in 4:45 (8 laps). Contemplating life, whilst eating a hot crossed bun at the very well stocked aid station, he decided to carry on and see if he could do a couple more laps, and he managed 33 miles (10 laps) finishing in a time of 6:03:10. As the results are listed based on distance completed, this meant that Graydon finished 6th out of 82 finishers.

These events provide decent medals and finishers can choose 6 items from a wide selection of goodies so Graydon made sure his goodie bag was filled with different bars of chocolate, just in time for Easter.

On Friday 30th March, 22 Trotters took part in City Runs 'Fast Friday 10k' - a very popular event on the Easter weekend. There were some great results achieved - several PB's and three age category wins!

Sue Tremlett was very happy to come first in her new age category at one of her favourite 10k events - achieving this even with her leggings on the wrong way round! Whilst Graeme Baker and David Taylor came first in there respective age categories.
PBs were also smashed on this fast course with Emma Ray getting herself a new personal best with 53:02, along with Bon Rymel who bagged himself a personal best of 46:05 and Sarah Pike with 45:00 - claiming 2nd prize in her age category at the same time.

The full results are; Jamie Barnett (4) 33:42, Simon Baker (24) 38:51, Mandy Wheeler (37) 41:22, Christian Robinson (48) 43:15, Derek Skinner (51) 43:39, Jacki Woon (52) 43:42, Sarah Pike (66) 45:00, Pete Haywood (71) 45:13, Neil Rutley (73) 45:19, Peter Blakesley (74) 45:22, Paul Sharples Snr (76) 45:42, Nigel Barnett (78), Kathryn Steemson (79) 46:04, Bon Rymel (80) 46:05, David Taylor (114) 50:59, Emma Donovan (118) 51:29, Sue Tremlett (127) 52:43, Emma Ray (132) 53:02, Graeme Baker (148) 55:30, Sharon Sharples (177) 60:03, Teresa Holmes (182) 60:52 and Louise Stokes (206) 75:53

On Monday 2nd April, 12 Trotters competed in the Easter Bunny 10k. Organised by Yeovil Town Road Running Club, this is a flat course through the local villages of West Camel and Podimore - the course which is an ideal route for anyone after a personal best was plagued by flooding again this year, making it harder to achieve those PBs - however didn't make this event any less enjoyable!
Our very own Helen Anthony, Jacki Woon, Kim Knight and Sally Ingledew claimed 1st Woman's Team to complete the course - not only a PB for Kim but also her very first running prize; Jacki and Lucy Payne also grabbed the first place spot in their respective age categories. It was fair to say this event had a few sections where the running conditions weren't idea - but this added to the fun of the event. 

A special mention needs to go to Martin & Jo Randall who made this a full family event by taking their daughter on the course with them as well!

Full results are: Geoff Davey (17) 37:42, Helen Anthony (36) 40:46, Duncan Knight (58) 43:22, Jacki Woon (82), Nigel Barnett (87) 46:24, Kim Knight (108) 48:25, Sally Ingledew (163) 52:21, Jo Randall (174) 52:19, Martin Randall (175) 52:19, Eleanor Taylor (211) 56:01, Lucy Payne (264) 1:00:04 and Rod Payne (280) 1:02:10.

The Teignbridge Trotters running club recently donated a fabulous £620 to local charity AIMS. 

AIMS provides activity sessions every Saturday in Dawlish for children with Special Needs and their families. It gives the parents a chance to mix with other families facing similar challenges while their children, including siblings, are having a great time. Stuart Moulson organised the collection and said ‘the club organises a donation every year; the trotters all donate to charity in lieu of Christmas cards, we like to choose a local charity to support and hope this money will really make a difference to the families that are helped by AIMS.’ Dr Jill Diprose and playleader Fran Ashfield from the charity went along to meet the runners at The Rec on club night and told the group 'We need to raise £12,000 every year to keep going, so your donation of £620 is a very important percentage and we’re incredibly grateful to you all'.

http://www.aimsfamilies.org/