Solo Mighty Green Terry Takes On The Stockland Scamper.

The Stockland Scamper was organised by the Stockland Primary Academy PTFA in association with Axe Valley Runners. It was a typical Axe Valley route with plenty of up’s and down’s in very scenic East Devon countryside. During the race briefing the competitors were informed that due to the overnight heavy rainfall, that the route was very wet, so with the hilly route, it would be slippery underfoot. This turned out to be an enormous understatement!

As if the race organisers had planned it, the rain stopped falling just as the race was to start. All 90 Scampers set off from the Stockland Village Hall at 10am, on the 23rd of September to a break in the weather. The turnout of 31 seniors (including Terry Bewes), competed in the 10k along with 59 Juniors in the 3k were all sent on their way, into the muddy and wet Stockland countryside. The first lane had turned into a river overnight, the stoney tracks were like a slippery ice rinks, as were the narrow wooden bridges and styles. Even in the fields, the torrential rain had dispersed the cow pats so the whole field was covered in a slippery smelly mess, but it was great fun. The last half mile was an especially tough climb! Before this point the Scamps had been lulled into a false sense of ‘being nearly back’. This hill came just when Terry thought it should be all downhill to the finish. During this last hill climb, Terry saw one runner ahead and decided to go all out, full steam ahead! He succeeded, passed her by and lost the wooden spoon position, but restored honour to the Mighty Green. Terry’s word of the race…”Brutal”!

Terry Bewes was the only Mighty Green Scamp sliding his way to the finish line, making it round in 1:09:47 and giving him a slippery 30th place and 1st M70. No sooner had Terry and the last runner crossed the line, the rain fell again. So, with the Stockland weather report done, a special thank you goes to Emma Parris and her team and to the great number of marshals who stuck it out in the soggy conditions.