Exmoor Mountain Marathon
On Saturday, Emma Brock, Claire Grubb and Ian Duffield braved the stormy conditions to take part in the inaugural Exmoor Mountain Marathon 40k race.
Organised by Southwest Fell runners, this was the girls first pairs marathon event. It was both challenging event and a great introduction to self-reliance, endurance and navigation amongst stunning Exmoor scenery for teams of two. Ian had planned to run with another ORC, but unfortunately he couldn’t make it, so the organisers allowed Ian to run along with the girls, as long as he didn’t help with the navigation!
There were two course options; the standard 25k and long 40k course. If two named storms weren’t enough to contend with the course also consisted of over 2000m of elevation! Claire and Emma came in as the first female team.
Simmons Park Parkrun
Also on Saturday, the ORC’s came out in force in their club colours (and some party hats) to celebrate the 2nd birthday of Simmons Park Parkrun. With ORC treasurer, Nick Marvin, taking on the role of race director on this very drizzly day.
Hundreds of runners, walkers, skippers or strollers came out to try and master the course consisting of multiple bridges and a few big puddles after the recent showers. All runners and walkers were treated to a big slice of birthday cake on their return which made it worth getting soaked through for!
Tavy 7
On Sunday, 5 ORC’s took part in the Tavy 7, Tavistock Athletics long-standing 7-mile road race. It is now held on Dartmoor on an undulating but fantastically scenic course. It starts at Plaster Down on the western edge of Dartmoor and goes past Pew Tor and the hamlet of Sampford Spiney on its 7-mile route.
Official results had not been published at the time of this report.
Valencia Half Marathon
On Sunday, Ben Wood completed the Valencia Half Marathon, known for being a flat and fast course making it a favourite for elite runners and those seeking a personal best. The course goes through the streets of Valencia, allowing runners to take in the city’s architectural beauty, its bustling atmosphere, and the passionate support of the local spectators.
Ben completed it in 2 hours 19 minutes in scorching conditions, in stark contrast to the UK weather. It is part of the SuperHalfs series and is a balloted entry system.
Exeter Halloween 5 and 10 milers
Also on Sunday, ORC’s Keely Phillips and Claire Thompson took part in the Exeter Halloween 5-mile race and Andrew Vernon took part in the 10-mile race. Starting at the Piazza Terracina by the Exeter Canal Basin, the races consisted of either 1 lap or 2 laps of a flat and fast route around Exe Valley River Park. It is organised by the Exeter City Community Trust.
All runners had to compete with a horrible head wind on the way back but were relieved to stay dry after Saturdays down pour! Congratulations to Keeley on a new 5-mile PB and 1st F50 (40 min 53s), Andrew for coming 1st V55 10 miler (1:10:19) and Claire for coming 2nd F45 (41:31).
