You're a runner if...

... you keep shoes and running clothes in your car so that if you're ever on a trip and drive by a place thinking "it'd be great to run here..." you can get out and go for a run
... you sleep in your running shorts because they're more comfortable than pyjamas, not to mention you don't need to change for your morning training session
... you can correctly pronounce names like "Hicham El Guerrouj" "Kennesia Bekele" and "Haile Gebresilassie"
... you've found yourself running around an airport departure hall thinking, "if I can just get in three more miles, I'll meet my mileage target this week"
... you wear sandals despite having the ugliest feet in the world, along with several black toe nails
... you get upset and impatient when results from the race you ran aren't posted on-line by the time you get home
... you find a magnifying glass to see your name in the paper.
... you have chafing in strange places.

... you spend more on training clothes than working clothes.

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(tbc)

You're a runner if...

... you get hit by a car and you don't bother to get the number plate of the person who hit you because you still have 6 miles left to go
... your cabin-luggage is a spike bag
... You say things like "long and hard" to your female friends and it is not a sexual innuendo
... you are used to the sound of a gun
... you make hundreds of left turns each week
... you and your clubmates have meaningless debates about training, running, and coaching, especially when you're drinking (or running)
... you have running shoes in varying degrees of decomposition: used, well-worn, spent but still good, and useless "but-I-still-wear-them-because-they-still-feel-good"
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(tbc)

Tavistock & Haytor & Saltash

A team of four Harriers braved the atrocious weather last Thursday and travelled to West Devon to take part in the 4 x 1.1 mile Tavistock Town Relays.

27 teams competed in the event that was won by Tamar Trotters with a total time of 21:17, but only after Exmouth had pushed them all the way to finish in second place, just 29 seconds behind the victors, in 21:46.

Exmouth’s team comprised Dave Stone (5:17), Carlos Payan (5:44), Hugh Marsden (5:40) and anchor Jamie Pearson (5:05). Jamie’s superb time was the 2nd fastest individual leg, a mere 4 seconds slower than the 5:01 recorded by the Tamar Trotters anchor, Mike Wilsmore.

Last Sunday, seven Harriers were among the field of 146 runners who completed a 6-mile cross country race, the Haytor Heller, near Bovey Tracey on Dartmoor.

The race was won by James Baker of Chichester Runners & A C in 40:53 and the first Harrier to finish was Hugh Marsden, 2nd V50 and 9th overall in 47:02.

Paul Samways came 13th in 47:43, with Adam Miller 25th in 50:37. Carlos Payan was 27th in 50:56 and Pete McKeown came 29th in 51:57. Duncan Parkes was 36th in 53:08, with Dawn Teed 94th in 64:51.

The Magnificent 7 (mile) Road Race at Saltash, Cornwall, was won by Dave Buzza of Cornwall AC in 39:14. Les Turner was 245th in 65:23 and there were 364 finishers.

(LT)

You're a runner if...

...Ibuprofen is your recreational drug of choice

...you think in terms of metres not yards

...you can look at a grass field and guess its circumference almost exactly

...you have 10% body fat yet you don't live in Somalia

...you consider a 15 mile run a good cure for a hangover

... if you are a man, you eat all the junk food that there is and still weigh 140 pounds

... you don’t care when you hug a sweaty girl in a public place

... you have recorded a marathon over your wedding video

(tbc)

Erme Valley Relay Photos - 1st Leg

Run Exe Summer 5k series

Round 2 of the Run Exe Summer 5K Series, at Exwick, was won by James Bellward of South West Road Runners in 16:24.

Three Exmouth Harriers, Carlos Alonso, Andy Johnson and Dave Eveleigh were among the 64 runners who completed the event.

Carlos was 11th in 17:59, Andy was 18th in 19:10 and Dave was 56th in 25:32.

(LT)

You're a runner if...

...you can use "easy" and 10 in the same sentence
...your shoes have more miles on them than your car does
...you go to a golf course to run
...you schedule dates around your training
...you've been to a golf course in every city but not to play golf
...you find yourself saying, "it's not really a hill..."
...you're running and you don't know why
...more than half the people you know don't know what XC is

(tbc)

Charmouth? It's a Picnic...

Harrier Mark Thompson contested the “Picnic” Marathon (a very inappropriate name for what is considered to be the toughest marathon in Britain) at Box Hill, Surrey. The event has a height gain / loss of 6,000 feet, entirely on rough tracks, with superb views over the North Downs, the Mole Gap, Denbies Vineyard and Dorking.

The race was won by Andy Rankin of Muddy Mucky Munkeys in 3:39:54 and Mark ran superbly to come 10th in 4:19:57 out of the field of 111 runners.

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The Charmouth Challenge is held on a hilly multi-terrain course of around eight miles through coastal scenery, including an ascent of the Golden Cap, the highest point on the South Coast.

257 runners completed the event that was won by Tom Bush of Altringham A C in 54:49, including two Harriers. Hugh Marsden had an excellent race to come 1st V50 and 9th overall in 57:04 and Andy Kennedy was 140th in 78:19.

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(LT)

Erme Valley Relays - 3rd July

Just as last year, Exmouth Harriers fielded no less than seven teams in the increasingly popular 4 x 2 ½ miles Erme Valley Road Relays at Ivybridge. So popular, in fact, that last year’s total of 73 teams increased by no less than 18 teams to this year’s staggering total of 91. Will next year’s small local event top the hundred mark?

The winning team was South West Road Runners in a total time of 51:36. Their anchorman, Exmouth runner Tom Merson, recorded the fastest individual leg of 12:08 compared with his fastest leg time last year of 12:21. Well done, Tom!

Exmouth Harriers produced some excellent individual performances and their M60 team (average age 66) won their category in 75:29 for the fifth consecutive year -- i.e. on every occasion since its introduction. The team comprised Roger Rowe (17:14), Ray Elston (18:32), Les Turner (20:19) and Jim Wyatt (19:24).

The Exmouth men’s “A” team (55:31) of Dave Stone (13:12), Adam Cornish (14:42), Carlos Alonso (14:34) and Jamie Pearson (13:03) were fifth. The M40 team, Pete McKeown (14:48), Jon Croome (14:32), Andy Johnson (15:10) and Hugh Marsden (14:58) came third in the category in 59:28.

The men’s “B” team, Chris Dupain (16:18), Nigel Dupain (18:30), Adam Miller (14:32) and Dave Stone (13:28) totalled 62:48.

Exmouth’s M50 team (67:00) of Bob Woodall (17:04), Hugh Marsden (14:31), Phil Bater (18:02) and Steve Merry (17:23) were fourth. The ladies “A” team comprised Hannah Dupain (16:42), Emma Dupain (17:16), Lissie Lingard (18:20) and Lucy Hodgson (18:07) and came sixth in 70:25.

The ladies “B” team (74:25) of Lorraine Croome (18:01), Nicky Crook (20:12), Dawn Teed (18:27) and Hannah Dupain (17:45) were eleventh.

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Results can be found here:

http://www.tamartrotters.co.uk/race_results/2009/erme_valley-relays_03-07-09.htm

(LT)

SW Vets Championships & Killerton Kanter

Two Harriers contested the South West Veterans’ A C Track & Field Championships at Exeter Arena and their outstanding performances achieved perfect results – they won all the five events they took part in!! Hardy perennial John Perratt struck M70 gold with 3:02.4 in the 800m, 6:14.0 for the 1500m and 22:03.7 in the 5,000m. The youngster, Andy Kennedy, achieved his M50 gold medals with 42:07.4 in the 10,000m and 9:54.1 in the 2,000m steeplechase. Congratulations, John and Andy!

140 runners completed the Killerton Kanter 10K Cross Country Race last Saturday, including six Exmouth Harriers. One of them, Hannah Dupain, was the 1st lady in 46:50. Well done, Hannah!

The race was won by Lee Turner in 36:49 and the first Harrier to finish was Adam Miller, 15th in 42:29. Right behind him came Paul Samways, 16th in 42:41, then Adrian Kearns, 22nd in 44:59. Nigel Dupain was 67th in 54:19 and Dawn Teed came 73rd in 55:23.

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(LT)