From Birmingham to Bideford

From Birmingham to Bideford, Exmouth Harriers were performing with great success last weekend against the best of Britain and Devon. In the Devon County Ross Shield, which took place as part of Sunday's rain-drenched Bideford 10K, Exmouth were the first women's veteran team - with Cathy Newman, Dawn Teed and Denise Kennedy taking the honours - and second senior women's team (Cathy, Hannah Dupain and Stef French). Cathy Newman, returning after a long period out with injury, won the women's race in 37:04. There were only 29 men who finished in front of her and it was another 2 minutes before the next woman finished. Newman was also first in the Women's Vet 40 category.

Bideford Athletic Club showed their strength in their home race, taking the first two places and providing seven of the first 13 finishers. John Ward won the race convincingly, by nearly a minute in 32:07. Exmouth's Anthony Hatchard continued his run of good form with 8th place in 34:03. Hugh Marsden was 21st overall, and second Male Vet 45, in 35:28. Roger Cowd's 46:37 won him second prize in the Male Vet 60 ategory.

The other Harriers who braved the foul weather were Andrew Kennedy (38:57), Hannah Dupain (43:19), Nigel Dupain (44:21), Stef French (45:42), Dawn Teed (47:50), Hannah Jones (49:13) and Denise Kennedy (54:36).

The previous day, another group of Exmouth veterans took part in the British Masters' Road Relays in Sutton Park, Birmingham. This event attracted over 40 teams from all over Great Britain in the men's veteran 60 event, which comprised three legs of an undulating 3 mile loop on tarmac paths around the park. Roger Rowe ran the first leg in 17:22, handing over in first place to Ray Elston. Elston's second leg time of 20:01 kept the Harriers in 5th place and John Perratt ran the final leg in 18:56, to capture 4th place overall.

Exmouth may have finished out of the medals, behind Clydesdale Harriers (Gold), Bingley Harriers (Silver) and Trentham Running Club (Bronze), but this was an excellent achievement, particularly since two members of the team are closer to 70 than 60! The youngest member of the trio, Roger Rowe, won a silver medal, with former Olympian Jeff Norman of Altrincham, for the joint second fastest leg.

(Andrew Johnson)