Dalwood 3 Hills Challenge

[Photo: Shaun in the Great West Run in 2006]

Last Sunday, four Exmouth Harriers took part in the Dalwood 3 Hills Challenge, a rolling ten mile trail run through the Devon countryside near Axminster. One of them, Shaun Lock, clocked up his first race win for the Club, following a brilliant performance on the day.

After being in the lead pack for the first half a mile, Shaun started climbing the first hill and took the lead, which he then held for the rest of the race. He reached the finish line in 1.11.17, 51 seconds ahead of the second runner home, Andrew Vallance of Tavistock A C.

The other Exmouth runners were Jon Croome, 8th in 1.16.20, Lorraine Croome, 54th in 1.31.03 and Diccon Haynes, 67th in 1.35.58.

113 runners completed the race.

Race reports - Sunday 18th February

Peninsula Challenge

Two Exmouth Harriers represented Devon against Cornwall in the Peninsula Challenge, with athletes selected from each county’s running clubs forming a combined county team. The challenge was part of the Plymouth Hoe 10 Mile Race. The male team comprised eight athletes with six to count. The female team comprised six athletes with four to count.

Devon won both team challenges, helped by superb performances from Exmouth’s Cathy Newman and Tony Hatchard. Cathy was 2nd lady v40 and 3rd lady overall in the main race in 1.00.10. She was also 3rd runner home in the team event, with the first five Devon runners all finishing before the first Cornish athlete. Tony Hatchard was 8th in the main race in 55.03. He was the 5th Devon team member to finish, beating all but three of the Cornish team.

Congratulations to Cathy, Tony and both the Devon teams.

Falkland Islands Half Marathon (yes really)!

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, another Exmouth stalwart was contesting and winning one of the Falkland Islands races which he seems to have made his own.

Although the conditions were wet underfoot, Hugh Marsden’s time of 1.17 in beating the other 77 runners in the half marathon, hopefully augurs well for his attempt to complete a hat trick of wins in the full marathon on 18th March.

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Four Trigs

Four Exmouth Harriers took part in the annual Four Trigs race at the weekend. This is a ‘low-key’ off road event taking in the four trig points and other controls around the Sid Valley. It is tough (some say harder than the Grizzly!) and takes in an obscene amount of climbing. A Fell Runners’ Association category B Race.

First Exmouth Harrier home was Jon Croome, despite head butting a tree on Saturday while checking the course and having an impromptu pole dancing session during the race on the Sunday! Jon finished 11th (same as last year) in 2hr 50min. Next home in 12th place in 2hr 52min was Paul Champion. Tim Gent had a strong run coming in 21st in 3hr 4min with Lorraine Croome also running well to finish in 31st place in 3hr 20min.

The race was won by Malcolm Bayer of Sidmouth in a time of 2hr 24min. A great race even though it was very wet under foot.

Sunday 11th February

Last Sunday, six Exmouth Harriers took part in the 5th and penultimate race in the Brooks Westward Cross Country League which was held at the Parke Estate at Bovey Tracey. The course was extremely boggy after all the recent heavy rainfall.

Dawn Teed, representing Exmouth ladies, had another good run and was 26th out of the 42 ladies who completed the race.

There were 93 runners in the men’s race. Exmouth’s Shaun Lock was 28th, and Andy Johnson was 44th overall and 10th v40.

John Perratt was 2nd v60 and 67th overall, with Lee Russell 11th v50 and 71st overall. Jim Wyatt was 3rd v60 and 85th overall.

(LT)

The Grizzly has been postponed until September

This is the situation as of Sunday 11th Feb. More details should be available within the next day or two and mailed to all entrants later this week.

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Axe Valley Runners have decided that the Grizzly will definitely be postponed due to the high risk of there being containers on Branscombe Beach around race weekend. More details will be emailed and put on the website tomorrow or Tuesday.

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The Grizzly has unfortunately been postponed until Sunday 9th September. You can either do nothing and carry your entry over to September or return your number (which will be mailed later in the week) for a refund of your entry fee. Your accommodation arrangements are your own responsibility but the holiday camp has told us that they will not be offering refunds. A weekend of running activities will take place in Seaton so still come if you can to the gathering of shipwrecked Grizzly soles!

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Rest assured that we do appreciate what the event means to the runners and the local community and that we have not taken this decision lightly.

Fulfords Great West Run '5'

Last Sunday, Exmouth Harriers hosted their first event of 2007, the Fulfords GWR Five, through the streets of Exmouth, swathed in glorious sunshine.

This year, the 5 mile race is also linked with the Teignbridge Ten on 25th March and the Great West Run in Exeter on 6th May, providing the opportunity to race shorter distances building up to the Great West Run.

The race was won by Ashley Humphreys of Tipton Harriers in 25.48. Mark Cowan of Exeter Harriers was 2nd in 26.11 with Wayne Stephens of Bideford AAC 3rd in 26.33.

There were outstanding performances from some of the 14 Exmouth Harriers who completed the race, the best coming from Cathy Newman. Cathy’s brilliant run made her 2nd lady overall and 2nd lady/vet40 in 29.10. But on the age grading basis, which takes age and sex into account, her 88% was better than the grading of all the other 375 athletes, male and female, who finished the race. So on this basis she was the overall winner!

The first lady home was Heather Foundling-Hawker of Honiton Running Club in 28.41.

An excellent run made Dave Stone, the first Exmouth Harrier to finish, 9th in 27.36. Joe Pascoe was 13th in 28.05, with Steve Hockings-Thompson 26th in 29.09 and Adrian Kearns 28th in 29.13.

Andy Johnson was 44th in 31.16 and Chris Dupain 79th in 33.51.

Next, after another great run, came first v65 and 81st overall, John Perratt, in 33.56. But in a month’s time, John will be a v70 – what an athlete! Ray Elston was 2nd v65 and 91st overall in 34.21. Ted Bloomfield, progressing steadily in his return to racing, was 3rd v60 and 105th overall in 34.53 (His first race in a Harrier's Vest).

Nigel and Emma Dupain were 138th and 139th, both in 36.27. Jim Wyatt was 5th v60 and 145th overall in 36.36. Ian MacDonald was 251st in 42.02.

Race director Bob Keast welcomed everyone to the awards ceremony, thanking Fulfords for sponsoring the event for the 4th year running, and GWR for the link up which had helped to increase the numbers considerably.

He also thanked the Exmouth Harriers involved in marshalling, timekeeping, finish line and results team activities, who had made his job as race director easy. But he was particularly grateful to the Exmouth Sea Cadets and Air Cadets who stepped in at the last minute when the Exeter Cadets pulled out a week before the event.

Altogether, the Fulfords’ representative presented 43 individual trophies to 24 male and 19 female athletes. He also presented trophies to 4 male and 4 female club teams, plus 2 unattached teams.

The men’s team awards were won by Exeter Harriers with 2nd place going to the Exmouth Harriers’ team of Dave Stone, Joe Pascoe, Steve Hockings-Thompson and Adrian Kearns.

Exmouth Harriers also took the 2nd vet men’s team awards with Steve Hockings-Thompson, Andy Johnson, John Perratt and Ray Elston.

The awards for the unattached teams went to Michelmores and Stephens and Scown.

Postscript
Five days after knee surgery last Tuesday, Roger Rowe walked the Fulford 5 course in 1:09:20. His recovery from the arthroscopy seems to be progressing rather quicker than expected, and he hopes to actually run within 10 days of the operation, and race again before Easter.

(LT & RR)