Bradleys Spring 10k
While seventy Mighty Greens were over in Seaton doing the Grizzly, over in Exmouth six Mighty Greens took part in the Spring Bradleys 10k organised by LME events.
Mighty Greens at Exmouth
Jack Wilson not only came 9th overall in 41:02 but knocked 4 minutes off his PB. Naomi Loosemore also got a new PB 56:12, coming in after Jamie Locke, 48:12 and Shaun Tipton, 51.59. Gail Goldsmith came first in her age category in 1:00:34 with Marion Johnson hot on her heels, 1:02:44.
Mighty Greens running far and wide
Sidmouth Running Club has been represented far and wide this weekend starting with Jo Earlam completing her 87th marathon in Exmouth, Toby Garrick wearing the Mighty Green at the Kilimanjaro Marathon and Kirsteen Welch racing with the elite and smashing another club record at the Wokingham half marathon on Sunday.
Jo and marathon #87
Jo thoroughly enjoyed the out and back course on Saturday organised by Running Events Devon. In total the Mighty Green ran 8 laps of the 3.28 mile loop between Exmouth and Budleigh along the old railway line and was pleasantly surprised with her time 5:46:00.
Toby at the Kilimanjaro marathon
For Toby, who is currently on his 3rd year Bath placement volunteering in Tanzania for 5 months teaching sports, getting to the start of the Kilimarathon was a marathon itself. A 13 hour bus ride, a 10 minute stop, another bus then a taxi! But it was worth it, running through small holder farms, villages, banana and coffee plantations and patches of forest with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. The race started at 6.45am to make the most of the cooler temperature and the MG was delighted to finish 104th in 3:39.06 in the shadow of Kilimanjaro.
Kirsteen at Wokingham
Kirsteen had a Sunday to remember at the Wokingham half marathon: a new club record, third place AND an elite entry to Manchester marathon on 3rd April. Kirsteen said it was great to race amongst the elite road runners and the crowd was very supportive which spurred her on. Aiming for a sub 75 the Mighty Green finished the race in 74:42 despite the tough undulating course and was delighted to hear she came 3rd! When receiving her trophy the commentator said “Kirsteen Welch, all the way from lovely Sidmouth” and she couldn’t agree more. Having knocked 1:45 off the club record which had been held since 2015, the club looks forward to seeing if more records will get broken in Manchester.
Preparations for JP’s Exe To Axe are well underway
While the focus for some of the Sidmouth Running Club members is increasing the mileage preparing for the upcoming Grizzly, three Mighty Greens are working hard behind the scenes organising the Club’s renowned JP’s Exe to Axe race on Sunday 3rd April.
Seaton here we come
Named in memory of John Perratt, a founder member and long term treasurer of the club, the 22 mile course starts at Foxes Hole car park on Exmouth seafront and follows the SW coast path to finish at Seaton Sailing club. Chipped timing allows runners to set off between 9:30 and 10:00.
And down to Ladram Bay
Dubbed ‘An adventure 22 miles in the making’, it is not for the faint hearted but there are relay and half distance options which make the event novice runner friendly too. Organiser Paul Mitchell is keen to encourage more relay teams to enter the challenge so that runners can experience the ups and downs of the scenic route in 5/6 mile sections. This year the half option is Sidmouth to Seaton and starts at 11am by the water station at the flag pole.
A Very Memorable 20th Anniversary Four Trigs Challenge
How many entrants checked their emails on Sunday morning to see if the Four Trigs had been cancelled? With winds gusting at 48mph and driving rain the weather certainly played its’ part in making the 20th anniversary fell race memorable especially for the organisers, Marion and Robert Hayman. Supporting the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), since 2015, the event was started in 2001 by Nick Keast. The 4 Trigs has only been cancelled twice: once due to Storm Ciara in 2020 and secondly, due to the pandemic in 2021.
A bit wet
This ‘low-key’ off-road running event covers a distance of approximately 28km with an obscene amount of climb involved. Underfoot is mixed terrain, mainly dirt trails, but with some grass and gravel not to mention steps, tree roots and some drainage gutters on the route as well as some steep sections of climb and fast descents. This year we had additional water coming off the fields creating rivers to run down especially coming into Sidbury but it did clean our trainers off!
4 Trigs Group
The aim is to visit each of the four Triangulation Pillars around the Sid Valley with runners choosing their own routes but they must visit each Trig Point in order (High Peak was first this year) taking in the 5 Check points to help taper the route.
This year a new app, MapRun6 was encouraged which enabled a staggered start which worked well especially with the wild conditions as the runners didn’t have to wait around getting colder and wetter.
Sidmouth Running Club came out in force though the Mighty Green shirts were well hidden under waterproofs! Out of a field of 125 finishers, 42 were Mighty Greens, 31 completing all 4 Trigs and 11 ran 3 Trigs. Antony Hall was the first SRC runner over the line, 10th overall in 2:46:03, with fellow MG David Knapman hot on his heels, 11th overall in 2:46:41. An astounding result, showing grit, determination and good balancing skills in those conditions.
Fire Beacon Hill
Julia Haddrell who ran 3 Trigs summed her run up by saying, “We ran through streams, chased our hats, fell over in the mud and laughed-what a memorable day.”
A bit slippy
Sidmouth Running Club would like to thank the organisers and marshals who were stood out in the same weather conditions as they were running in but remained cheerful and encouraging. A special mention and thank you must go to the sponsors of the event. Nigel Winchester, of Ian Winchesters and Sons, who not only provided the bananas, he served them too, on top of East Hill. Richard king of Kings Garden and Leisure, sponsored the special 20th Anniversary celebratory mugs and also provided delicious flapjack and brownies at the finish.
Marion and Robert are delighted to announce that The four Trigs has managed to raise £2,302.00 for CRY this year which brings the total over the last 8 years to £11,562 and thanks everyone for their generosity.
4 Trigs Results 2022.
Antony Hall 2:46:03 10th o/a
David Knapman 2:46:41 11th o/a
Richard Summerhayes 3:04:43
Tom Knight 3:05:19
Ross Walton 3:27:54
David Chipping 3:29:14
Martin Truman 3:36:54
Catherine Hilton 3:45:07
Charlotte Forrer 3:49:00
Jim Forrer 3:49:06
Sam Ingram 4:03:01
Simon Hollyer 4:05:16
Mark Andow 4:05:26
Chris Heywood 4:05:31
Martin Barnard 4:09:32
Lynda Hawkins 4:11:10
Rachel Barnard 4:11:44
Becky McDonald 4:12:08
Sarah Ginsberg 4:12:37
Graham Sheppard 4:24:32
Richard King 4:29:14
Mark Norton 4:32:59
Becky Procter 4:33:38
Cath Miller 4:35:26
Naomi Garrick 4:39:18
John Keast 4:40:54
Debbie Cawthera 5:15:19
Don Cawthera 5:15:19
Cathy Keast 5:15:19
Helen Palmer 5:15:19
David Welsh 6:30:00
3 Trigs
Alexa Baker, Terry Bewes, Ann Cole, Christine and Karen Farnham,
Julia Haddrell, Carol Hounsell, Brigid McEleney-Smith, Kerry Salter, Sarah Watkins, David Wright
A Weekend Of Wild Nights, Driving Rain, Hilly Challenges and Cross Country Running
Even though dubbed ‘The SW’s toughest night race’, Martin Barnard had a lot of fun on Saturday as he took part in the Wild Night Run on Dartmoor. Wearing the Mighty Green, Martin encountered rocks, bogs and strong winds as he ran from South Brent up onto the moors twice during the 10 mile route. With 525m of climb he said it was good training for the upcoming 4 Trigs and out of 63 finishers came 19th in 1:35:00. The winning time was 1:23:00 showing what a close run race it was.
Martin at the Wild Night Run
Taking on the 50km North to South crossing of Dartmoor, MG’s Bex McDonald, Mark Andow, Simon Hollyer and Adrian Harris set off from Oakhampton at 7.30am on Sunday in the rain and 60mph winds. A great test of endurance, wearing full waterproofs and a packed rucksack Bex said it was more a trek than a run. She had never experienced winds like it, driving in from the West all day and the barren saturated terrain felt relentless at times. With Adrian navigating the way they arrived in Ivybridge after dark and were incredibly happy to see their ride home.
MGs on the Dartmoor Traverse
Nine SRC members took part in the Axmouth Challenge on a very breezy Sunday morning. This friendly village event offered a 1, 3, 5 or 9 mile option and it was great to see the children proudly wearing their medals afterwards. A 2 mile uphill start isn’t ideal but didn’t stop Shaun Tipton storming off and he had a cracking run finishing 6th in the 5 mile race in 53:09. Head coach Kyle Baker took the opportunity to get some miles in for his Grizzly training and was the first MG home in the 9 mile race in 1:28:10. All the club runners enjoyed the route which took them along tarmac, tracks and muddy fields to places they had never been before. The marshals were very encouraging despite standing in some very windy spots and the refreshments at the end were amazing-soup, bacon rolls, and homemade cakes…what hills?!?
Axmouth Challenge Team
Results 5 miles Shaun Tipton 53:09, Carol Hounsell 1:00:09, Alexa Baker 1:03:32, Terry Bewes 1:04:11 9 miles Kyle Baker 1:28:10, Christine Farnham 1:32:44, Karen Farnham 1:34:35, Christy Ward 1:51:13, John Sharples 1:51:14
Vets XC group
The SW Vets Cross Country Championship was held on Sunday afternoon around the sports pitches at Sidford. Despite it being quite soft underfoot and beginning to tire towards the end, Mighty Green Antony Hall finished in 6th place overall and 2nd in his age category 40-44. In fact 5 of the 7 Sidmouth Running Club members came in the top 3 of their age categories; Arthur Vince finished 1st in 75+, Gail Goldsmith finished 2nd in 70-74 with Marion Johnson 3rd and David King 3rd in 65-69 age group.
Results Antony Hall 23:28, David King 28:38, Gail Goldsmith 38:01, Colin Flood 38:11, Marion Johnson 38:11, Tony Velterop 41:33, Arthur Vince 57:54
Sidmouth Running Club Defeat The Blackdown Beast
When you hear a Sidmouth running club member mention The Blackdown Beast you get carried away with tales of pasties, mulled cider, pub stops, picturesque countryside and before you know it you have signed up… then you hear of the many hills, mud, slurry and self-navigation involved!
Twenty five intrepid Mighty Greens gathered by the club flag on Saturday morning having signed in, down loaded the what3words app and said who they were running with before setting off with 215 runners from a very windy, damp and freezing Dunkeswell Airfield.
Blackdown Beast Mighty Greens
Slow progress was made over the first mile or so with a series of stiles and gates but it prevented you from setting off too quickly especially useful for those running the full 16 miles. Armed with a set of instructions, a map of the area and on the lookout for white drawing pins on sign posts many of the first timers teamed up with an experienced Beast club runner who could remember the route-most of the time!
The first stop off/check in point was at Smeatharpe Village hall, 7.5 miles in, where you were able to have a welcome cup of tea and a doughnut. Previously this was the pasty stop and Richard King enabled the tradition to continue for SRC members by asking MG Monica Reed to collect and deliver some freshly made pasties from Kings Garden Centre to the village hall car park. They were much appreciated by the club runners.
10 milers at Sidmouth Arms
The next leg of the run was 2.8 miles of country lanes and tracks to The Sidmouth Arms at Upottery. This was the finish point for the 10 milers who then got the mini bus back to the airfield and a chance for the 16 milers to get more sustenance before heading towards Rawridge, crossing the river Otter and climbing to the viewpoint above Luppitt.
16 milers at Sidmouth Arms
Mulled cider was on offer at the final refreshment stop at Luppitt village hall to help the runners complete the final 2.7 mile leg up and over Luppitt Common and back to the airfield.
Happy Finishers
Despite the mud there was some mighty strong running from the club and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thanks and congratulations go to Honiton Running Club for organising this charity event for Macmillan Cancer Support so smoothly.
New Club Record and PB for Mighty Green Kirsteen Welch
With an average pace of 5:25 minute miles, Kirsteen Welch smashed her 10k PB on Sunday at the Speedway 10k, finishing in 33:49 minutes.
Kirsteen flying
The Mighty Green, who travelled up to Beachley, Gloucestershire to compete in the flat and fast 10k, was absolutely buzzing to hear she ran sub 34 minutes, testament that her dedication to training is paying off. Kirsteen currently fits in work around running 100 miles a week including an early morning run along the seafront to kick start her day.
Her fantastic run has also broken the SRC 10k record which stood at 34:20. The club looks forward to following and supporting this inspirational runner in the months ahead.
Sidmouth Running Club Joins Battle of Woodbury Common, Oh My Obelisk and The Sir Walter Round!
For four Mighty Greens Saturday night meant leaving the warmth of their homes, grabbing a head torch and heading to Woodbury Common to take part in the Battle of Woodbury Common. Organised by Sportiva Events, Rachel Barnard ran the 10K course in 1:11:57 while Mark Andow, Charlotte Forrer and Mark Norton ran the half marathon which was 2 laps of the 10k course very successfully. Mark A finished in 14th place in 1:59:20, Charlotte was 4th lady back and first in her age category in 2:09:46 and hot on her heels Mark N finished in 2:12:59.
Battle of Woodbury
Sunday was the last of the Four Trigs training sessions which started in sunny Sidford but as Weston Trig came into view so did the grey clouds and the following rain made the homeward section very slippery indeed. Luckily those that fell did so gracefully and it all added to the training especially as many of the group are competing in the Blackdown Beast in a couple of weeks’ time.
Oh My Obelisk
Karen and Christine Farnham missed this session to run in Oh My Obelisk organised by the Dawlish Coasters along. The twins ran the 9 mile course in 1:36:33 while fellow Mighty Greens Antony Hall, Catherine Hilton, Derek Blackburn and Clive Gilbert ran the half. They all enjoyed the multi terrain run with mud, hills, fields, woodland tracks and quiet country lanes with stunning views, even Antony who took a fall half way through but bounced back and finished in 27th place out of a field of 184 in 1:43:14. Results Catherine 2:13:18, Clive 2:20:13, Derek 2:34:31.
Ollie at The Walter Raleigh
In Budleigh Salterton four Mighty Greens took part in The Walter Raleigh Round organised by Climb South West. The new half marathon race visits the birthplace of Sir Walter and the countryside he spent time in as a child as well as a visit to High Peak and the Jurassic coast! Ollie Goodchild-Horne finished in 16th place out of a field of 140 in 2:02:51, Martin Truman in 2:07:12, Jamie Locke running with his brother Tom finished in 2:14:33 and new club member Becky Proctor finished in 2:47:48.
Back to Running
The ‘Back To Running’ group enjoyed interval training on Wednesday evening under head coach, Kyle Baker’s watchful eye. Despite only being week 2, the group have bonded well and are very encouraging of each other. It was great to see members from the beginners and back to running groups join in the Monday night club run too.
11+ Juniors
The Juniors are back too with the 8+ in the sports hall and the 11+ taking to the streets with hi-vis, torches and at least 2 leaders. The 11+ group also meet on Sunday mornings for daylight off road runs. If you know someone who would be interested in running and joining the friendly groups please contact the Junior Coach, Kerry Boyle via the Sidmouth Running Club’s web site, http://www.sidmouthrunningclub.co.uk.
Off the starting blocks as SRC’s Beginners Course Begins
The drop in temperature did not deter the new recruits joining Sidmouth Running Club’s beginner’s course on Wednesday. Course leader Terry Bewes soon had them warming up in the sports hall at St John’s School ready to take to the streets in their first group run.
Beginners Group
Running and chatting comfortably throughout they took on the challenge to run the final section of hill back to the school in their stride and were surprised but delighted to learn that they had run 2.5 miles. A fantastic start which will be built on over the length of the course.
Sidmouth Running Club Kept On Running Over Christmas
There is always an opportunity to run over the Christmas period; Christmas Day park run at Seaton, the club’s Boxing Day run and the New Year’s Day park run at Exmouth and many Mighty Greens got involved.
Julia and daughter Alex
Whilst the turkey was cooking, club members David Skinner and Julia Haddrell plus her daughter Alex, took the opportunity to wear fancy dress and take part in the Seaton park run while Derek Blackburn with his daughter Grace lined up in Bushy Park with 1,600 park runners! Further afield in Vancouver, MG Tim Swarbrick managed to get a Christmas day run in as the weather had finally warmed up enough!
Tim in Vancouver
The Boxing Day runners gathered in the rain but set off under a full rainbow determined to burn off a few calories and make room for more festive food! Any fancy dress was soon taken off as it was unseasonably warm and Soldiers Hill had still to be climbed but as they approached the frog stone the sun came out in a clear blue sky.
Terry
As part of the club’s tradition, the group lined up in formation at the top of the grass slope on Salcombe Hill, spread their arms and sang the Dambusters theme tune as they ran/slipped down.
Boxing Day MGs at the Frogstone
Club runner Cheryl Boulton decided Boxing Day would be a good time to complete her Grand Western Canal virtual 10k before the end of the year cut off and had an enjoyable run with fellow MG Susan Reeves.
In Exmouth 443 clear headed runners lined up for the New Year’s Day park run and despite the rain two Sidmouth Running club members got new PB’s. Kirsteen Welch was 3rd overall with a new PB of 17:44 and Alexa Baker knocked 3 minutes off her PB finishing in 30.16. David King, Clive Gilbert and David Skinner were also spotted wearing the Mighty Green shirts.
There is still time to sign up for the Beginners and Back to Running courses which start on Wednesday. Running is a great way to keep fit, explore where you live and meet people. Sidmouth Running Club welcomes all abilities and ages and are very encouraging-come and see for yourself. Please contact 07734581782 or email sidmouthrunningclub@gmail.com