UKA Cross Challenge
Sophie Casavielle Lacaze travelled to Nottingham to represent Devon in the final event of the UKA Cross Challenge. It was a great day of fantastic running through Wollaton park, a history making event marking the 100th year of the inter-counties’ cross country championships.
Sophie ran very well and was proud to represent Devon in the U15’s 4km race.
Bys Vyken Cousin Jack Ultra
On Saturday Claire Grubb ran the Bys Vyken Cousin Jack Ultra which is a 35 mile race from St Ives to Cape Cornwall and back to St Ives.
The route has everything a trail can give, from muddy fields to rocky headlands, steep paths and the endless bogs. Each turn and every hill offers a new challenge, but with that comes rewards. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day in West Cornwall, and the coast path had dried out a lot in the last week.
It was a fast field with the women’s record broken by the1st, 2nd and 3rd ladies. Claire’s unofficial time was 8hrs and 8minutes, a few minutes off her 2023 course PB, and 4th lady.
Rhayader Round the Lakes
Peter Rossiter took part in the Rhayader Round the Lakes 30km road race on Saturday. Set in the Elan Valley in mid Wales with stunning scenery, the course starts with a 7km slog uphill to get to the lakes and has around 600m ascent. The route is challenging and exposed to the weather, especially on the higher parts.
Peter finished in 3:07:52 and was very happy with how it went – well done to him!
Cardinham Woods
3 ORC’s travelled to Bodmin to take part in the Cardinham Woods events on Saturday. It was a lovely spring morning, albeit chilly – but no rain! Pearl Barnes ran in the 10k race and said it was a beautiful route, with no mud for a change. She did well and finished in a time of 1:11:57.
ORC Junior Ruairi ran in the 5k and finished in a superb time of 26:37, 10th place overall and 3rd place in the U16’s. Once finished he helped his mum to sweep the last lap of the 10k race and cheered the runners on – he certainly deserved the sticky toffee cake afterwards!
Lucy Gooding and Gilmore took part in the 10k Canicross and finished in 1:06:46.
Bideford Half Marathon
Joining 5 other ORC’s Pearl Barnes was in action again on Sunday in the Bideford half marathon, her third in as many weeks!
Known as the swift half, the race starts and finishes very close to the Bideford Amateur Athletic Club Clubhouse and takes in magnificent countryside alongside the River Torridge between Bideford and Great Torrington. The course heads out on roads and returns on the Tarka Trail.
Deemed to be ‘largely’ flat, the second half may be, but the first certainly isn’t!
The team did well with Paul Carter finishing in 1:31:41 – 3rd in his age group, swiftly on his heels was Katie Littlejohns in 1:31:58, Derek Maltravers in 1:32:07, Claudine Benstead in 1:33:37, 1st in her age category, Andrew Throne in 1:57:07 and Pearl in 2:14:43.
The Grizzly
Seven ORC’s took part in the Grizzly on Sunday which starts and finishes on the Esplanade at Seaton.
It’s a race with more than 3,000’ ascent on its 20 miles. There are two sections of pebble beach, totalling well over a mile, two energy-sapping bogs, where runners are often up to their waists in water and mud, and the infamous ‘Stairway to Heaven’, a steep path up the side of Hooken Cliff. Some of the descents are steep and often very slippery, with runners expecting to encounter lots of challenges.
Nevertheless, it’s an event that is always sold out and the ORC’s love it! Matt said it was a fantastic day out exploring the bogs – he fell in the first one and at the second helped a fellow runner to retrieve his shoe! He thought the bogs were deeper than last year but did manage to set a PB on this course.
Luke Stannus had an incredible run, the furthest he has raced to date, he finished in 8th place in a time of 2:29:02. Chris Turner was the next ORC back in a time of 02:43:19. Ian Duffield finished in 3:33.31. Running the course together Eddie Bragg, Matt Grint and Emma Jewell finished in 4:08:19, 4:08:57 and 4:08:59. Lou Duffield finished next in 5:10:39 and Izzi Davison in 5:14:57.
Granite Way
Sunday saw this local race, organized by Exeter City Community Trust take place along the Granite Way. The race route follows the Granite Way Cycle Trail towards Lydford for five miles, turns around and returns to Okehampton. The 10-mile route is one lap of the out and back course. The 20-mile route is two laps of the same course.
Daniel Baxter was the sole ORC in the 10mile event which he completed in a time of 1:09:32.
In the 20mile event Rob Kelly had a great race finishing in 4th place overall and 1st in his age category in a time of 2:08:16. He also set a club record – well done to him and all the runners this weekend.
