Ivybridge 10k [click for full results]

The damp and windy conditions at last Saturday's 10K race in Ivybridge may have been very inclement for May, but on this occasion they worked in the competitors' favour. The first two kilometres were run into the wind, from Ivybridge 'Park and Ride' to Bittaford. The course then swung up into a lane, past the old Moorhaven Hospital and Wrangaton, which climbed for two very steep kilometres but was sheltered from the wind. It then dropped steeply to half-way and turned back towards Bittaford and the finish at Ivybridge Rugby Club. With the worst of the climbs behind them and the wind at their backs, many runners were able to record a faster split in the second 5K of the race than the first half.

Plymouth-based Tipton Harrier, Stuart Hall was the first to finish, winning by nearly half a minute in 32:30. Leading woman Revis Crowle, of East Cornwall Harriers, enjoyed a 20 second winning margin with her time of 37:24. Among the 8 Exmouth Harriers who took part, once again, it was Exmouth's veteran runners who stole the show with both Roger Rowe and John Perratt picking up Gold medals in the Devon 10K county championships, which was incorporated into this year's race. Rowe was first in the Vet 60 category in an 37:58 while Perratt won the Vet 65 event in 41:45. This inclusion of the county championships led to a massive field - there were 486 finishers - and a very competitive race: Rowe was only 44th and 70 runners finished inside 40 minutes.

Exmouth's Shaun Lock ran a well disciplined race to record a time of 39:35, followed by Andrew Johnson (40:21). Hannah Dupain was the leading Exmouth female once again, with a time of 41:55. The other Harriers were Lee Russell (42:40), Nigel Dupain (45:25) and Hannah Jones (47:56).

Journal readers are reminded that Exmouth's own 10K race will take place on Sunday 5 June at 9:30am. This year the race headquarters will be the Deer Leap and it will be possible to enter there on the day. However, runners can save £2 by entering in advance: entry forms are available from the Exmouth Harriers website at www.exmouth-harriers.co.uk/sykes_05/Sykes_05.pdf. The race starts and finishes in Bath Road behind Elizabeth Hall and takes in two laps of the sea front and town centre.

Finally, the final results of the Great West Run have confirmed that another Harrier picked up a medal in the British Masters Half Marathon Championship. Les Turner, who is relatively new to the sport, was awarded the Vet/60 Silver Medal which is an excellent achievement.

(Andrew Johnson)