The Blackdown Beast 2020

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Fourteen members of the Sidmouth Running Club ventured out into the beautiful East Devon countryside to take part in The Blackdown Beast on Saturday the 25th of January.
   This very popular event is a very sociable, non timed and self-navigating 10 or 17(ish) very muddy mile run that travels through some of the stunning Blackdown Hills.
   The Mighty Green team members were Jessica Raynor, Sarah Watkins, Paul Williamson, Helen Palmer, Millie Frankpitt, Cathy Keast, Monica Reid, Richard King, Els Laureys, Jane Hemsworth, Simon Hollyer, Richard Summerhayes, Carine Silver and Alan
   They all made their getaway from Dunkerswell at 10:00hrs and headed along 7.6 miles of infrequently used footpaths to Smeatharpe where a reward of a delicious hot pasty and some mulled cider was served up in the village hall. Then it was just a 2.5 mile jog along some lanes and country paths which dropped down into the village of Upottery. It was into the Sidmouth Arms where more sustenance was consumed. The 10 mile option finishes here and so did Millie who opted to jump on the bus back to Dunkerswell and head to Exeter for the rugby…mixed priorities here Milly! The 17 milers continued along the road to Rawridge where they turned right, crossed the river Otter and climbed to the top of the ridge to the viewpoint above Luppitt. Here they enjoyed a non-existent panoramic view of the grey sogginess mascaraing as the surrounding countryside, it was very wet and misty! However, it was just a short soggy 3 mile jaunt to the Luppitt Inn for yet more very welcomed delights that any self-respecting public house would have on offer. Lastly a 2 mile section, cross-country over the Luppitt Common and back into Dunkeswell for a very well earned drink and some more food at the race Hq.

SW Veterans Championship Race 2020.

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   There was welcoming atmosphere at Sunday’s SW Veterans Championship Race at Sidford playing fields despite it having rained all night and morning.
   As a result of the rain, the course was muddy, in places, inches deep and although flat this made the course very challenging, especially for myself (Ann) since I had no tread on my shoes!
The event was a competitive field and had attracted entrants from as far afield as Newquay, Bristol, Westbury and Salisbury. Most of the mud had stuck onto my shoes which slowed progress around the course. So, it came as no surprise that I crossed the finish line 47h05s later taking the wooden spoon. John Sharples fared a bit better than myself, but only a bit.
   This run made John Sharples realise that he is genetically programmed to run only in straight lines! The course was a series of 90 degree turns around several rugby and football pitches. Every corner neatly sodden after the heavy rain. John commented “My technique was to apply the brakes as I approached each turn, with the intention of elegantly drifting around, likeTodd Carter in Dancing on Ice. Sadly this did not work” !
http://www.southwestvets.co.uk/race-page/results

Exeter Epic Trail 10K 25th January 2020

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   If you were travelling up Haldon Hill at 9.30am on the morning of Saturday 25th, you may well have wondered what on earth was occurring.
   Around a thousand cars were queuing to get into the Exeter Racecourse for the first ever Exeter Epic Trail 10K which was organised by Tough Runner UK. This was a very popular event and judging by the club names on competitors shirts, was attended by runners from all parts of the country, such is the following and reputation for Tough Runner events.
   Lining up at the start were Terry Bewes, Adrian Gripper Horne and Derek Blackburn. This was a chip timed race, so it was not a problem to hang around in the middle of the crowd and out of the chilly wind whilst the race got underway. The start was well organised considering there were 1200 runners setting off, but with this many competing, the first mile was very steady making it difficult to pass those in front. The first part of the course proceeded along and down a half mile tarmac road, then into the forest along stony paths and muddy tracks. Once again the Mighty Greens came into their element heading straight through the middle, while others tried to keep their shoes clean by shuffling and around missing the mud. This gave a huge advantage to the Sidmouth trio and many were passed. This was not a hilly course by any Mighty Green standard with only a mere 434 feet of elevation gain, but one where the hill training we get to do, really paid off.
  For the last bit the forest opens up with a sprint for the finish being back on the tarmac again. First Mighty Green runner back home was Adrian in 55:25, first in age group at 330th overall an excellent result.
Derek was very pleased to arrive back in under the hour in 58:33 taking 2nd in his age group and finally Terry in 1:06:27. There were a total of 1281 finishers.
   Two Mighty Greens Debbie Marriott and daughter Kate were helping on the stalls and Don Cawthera on parking control which gave them an entry into a different race .
   Collecting their medals for the photo none of them looked forward to joining the queue of cars leaving the car park, but thanks again to the organisation it all went very smoothly. Praise goes to the organisation, marshals, First Aid cover, food and drink stalls were all first class.

Winter Series 5k At Haldon Forest Park. 

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   David Skinner braved the chilly temperatures up in the Haldon Forest on Sunday morning to take part in the first part of a Winter Series.
   Having taken part in several events previously on Haldon Hill and really enjoying them, David could not resist entering the Haldon Forest Winter Series 2020. Organised by Purple Geko Events, this race was the first of a 3 race series with the 10k and 10 mile yet to come.
As competitors arrived the organisers were concerned about ice along the route. However, the course was checked and the temperature rose by 2 degrees, so with the sun shining those fears evaporated. The start featured a steep technical descent which does include some running in the woods and going down steps, this caused a bottleneck. After the steps the undulations began, it felt however that mostly there were long climbs and the final section to the finish really was a long difficult climb. David came 50th out of 78 runners in 42m45s.

Flying Fox’s Ninesprings By Night

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   On Saturday 18th of January, on a very cold evening, Terry Bewes and Kyle Baker took part in another Flying Fox’s night event, The Ninesprings By Night.
   Terry and Kyle headed off to Yeovil for a 17:30pm start for another one of Flying Fox’s fantastic night events! This one took place on the outskirts of Yeovil, at the Ninesprings nature park, named after the 9 natural springs which flow from the valley. Having competed in similar Flying Fox events on previously occasions, they were both still unsure of the extent of the challenge ahead with the freezing weather… which shoes to wear, how many layers, hat and gloves?  
   The 10k race was two laps of the course and Kyle took off at a fast pace, soon finding it more more challenging than he’d thought, with the slippery stone steps, mud, ponds, more steps and wooden bridges. He felt like it was a never ending up hill battle, however, the 5k lap was soon completed with a lovely down hill blast to the start of the second lap. Now knowing what was ahead of him, Kyle slowed down to a more steady pace, ready for the steps and mud, which even though he’d been over it once, it still came as a surprise! He carried on, catching up with a few competitors who’d over taken him on the first lap. Setting the pace for the rest of the run with two other runners and just one mile to go, Kyle pushed on, over taking a few more competitors. He sprinted  past the last one in the final 100m stretch, finishing in 50m13s in 30th position. Terry arrived back in 1h12m15s to find that Kyle had eaten the last of the banana cake! However, both Mighty Greens thoroughly enjoyed the race and were very happy with the medal, which was another Flying Fox masterpiece. Both lads are looking forward to the next Flying Fox Running event, Escape from Wych Woods on the 15th February.
 
https://www.flyingfoxrunning.co.uk/races/

A First Chance To Revisit For Laura Boughton.

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Laura Broughton blasted her previous time at First Chance 10k to pieces on Sunday 19th of January.
Eight years ago Laura Broughton entered into her first ever running event, the 2012 First Chance 10k. On Sunday the 19th of January this year, Laura revisited the event. This race is a fast, pancake flat 10k route around the Exeter Riverside Valley Park, an ideal place to establish a personal best time. Laura did not disappoint on that front. On a crisp, cold but sunny morning she powered her way around the route and crossed over the finish line in 55m16s (Strava time). This bettered her previous time by a staggering eleven minutes. Well done Laura, that was a Mighty Green effort.
Report by Hamish Spence
http://www.swrr.co.uk/first-chance-10k/

Park Running

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Many of the Mighty Greens have been making the most of our local, and not so local, Park Runs.  With so many Devon Park Runs on our doorstep it would be rude not to participate in such a social and inclusive event.

 

Park Runs take place at 9am on Saturday Morning in the following Devon Locations and many more:

Seaton Esplanade 

Exmouth Seafront

Exeter Riverside

Haldon Forest

Parke National Trust

Killerton National Trust

You can find Park Runs across the world so please tell us if you participate in a more exotic one, just like Ann Cole did when she visited Cologne, Germany.

If Park Runs are your thing, you may be interested in reading a book by Devon author, Ian Mortimer,

Why Running Matters: Lessons in Life, Pain and Exhilaration From 5K to the Marathon

In his book Ian talks us through a whole year of running in Devon, from his home in Moretonhampstead.  He describes each run and reflects on why running is so valuable.

Final Countdown

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Final Countdown 31 December 2019

By Terry Bewes

 

What a better way to finish the year than with a new trail run. Winding Paths organised the Final Countdown 10km race around the Dartington Hall estate. As with many races now, this one was sold out long before the day, so if you see a race you fancy do not delay signing up. There was plenty of parking, a café and toilets close to the start. Myself and Milly Frankpitt listened to the race briefing which told us that the start and finish were the same so starting off at the top of a hill for a long downhill run you soon realised that it would be a long run up hill to the finish. This is not a PB course thanks to the gates and stiles, but it does make you start at an easy pace. The run takes you through woods, up hills, along stoney paths, a bit of tarmac, across fields and lots of sticky mud. There are also a few technical sections to keep you on your toes. A third of the run is through fields by the river Dart and in places the steam railway is on the other side.

And then we were at the bottom of the hill ready for the run to the finish. We finished together in 1:16:19, 150 and 151 out of 245 finishers to collect a very nice medal for our effort.

The organisation was great and the marshal’s brilliant including two off our own, Alan Kay and Adrian ‘Gripper’ Horne who earned an entry into an upcoming Ultra. The race will return on the 31st December 2020, we will be there, and I can thoroughly recommend it.

The Extremely Jolly Escot Run

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 The Mighty Green Fancy Dress Machine was out in force again on the 21st and 22nd of December with 12 members taking on various trail routes including the Extremely Jolly run, half marathon and full marathon events, all of which were in the grounds of the Escot estate writes Hamish Spence.
   The 10k event took place on the Saturday and had six MG’s suitably kitted out in Christmas attire. The ground had been absolutely saturated with the recent rainfall, but the sky was a clear blue giving a jolly atmosphere and a promise of a fun run in the mud around the park. The start line resembled a scene of a magical Christmas wonderland with almost all of the runners wearing some form of fancy dress.
   The first couple of miles were not bad and gave everyone a chance to warm up and prepare. There were a few hills but nothing a self-respecting MG couldn’t handle. Then the fun began! A loop up into the woods with some knee deep puddles and thick oozy mud! Déjà-vu of the Bicton Blister! Then six miles in and there was an optional water slide, not really an option if your belong to SRC and anyway it was a good opportunity to remove some of the mud acquired from the woodlands. Lastly, there was a short mile or so down hill to the finish line.
   The extremely jolly Kyle Baker, turned into the extremely muddy Elf during this event! He set off at a fast pace, taking on the mud, woodlands and hill by himself. On arrival at the water slide he deliberated on the best approach on tackling the soggy descent. His decision to sit as he slid, turned out not so good and when arriving at the bottom, he rolled into the mud anyway! How graceful…not! Never mind, he picked himself up and carried on to the finish line to be the first MG and came in the 13th over all position in at an impressive 1h05m. Not far behind was Allan Kay taking 1h15m25s to finish followed by Emma Vine in 1h19m40s and Derek Blackburn in 1h22m42s. The best dressed Elf in the park, Laura Broughton trod carefully through the mud to arrive back in a clean 1h28m14s. Nikita Kay and Alexis Kay set off and ran the whole route together finishing in 1h41m10s. At the finish all the competitors received the Santa, with a full beard medal and a welcomed bottle of beer bringing a seasonal smile back to everyone’s faces.

Celebration!