What Came Before? A Sting In The Tail, Or The Night Jar?

What Came Before was an eventful race for all who participated. Hills, stones, some mud and an angry bunch of wasps to dodge writes Hamish Spence.

The events were organised by Flying Fox Running and the routes took the competitors over the unique Pebblebed Heathland of Woodbury Common. 

Nikita Kay, a new SRC member of just two weeks, having done the couch to 5k using an app on her phone, decided to take on as her first race, the 5k What Came Before. That in its self was brave, but braver still was completing the route having been stung on her backside by an angry wasp! She was not alone in being stung, Suzi Rockey also received one on her butt. Alexa Baker had been given her ticket to this race by Kyle Baker as a Birthday present. She too received a sting to her rear end! David Skinner who has a habit of getting stung by wasps during races had his finger stung…you got away lightly David as your stinger was not a BumBiter! Kyle Baker led the MG’s around the route while Terry Bewes took a more defensive decision to run at the back of the competitors keeping well away from the pesky wasps.

Antony Hall took off right from the beginning of the What Came Before 10k race. He literally shot off leaving all behind him. He sustained his pace throughout the race and held the lead position all the way around. He took first place by over 4 minutes. Christine and Karen Farnham evaded the angry insects and ran the route together.

The 5 mile Night Jar competitors enjoyed being on a moonlight Heathland. Julia Haddrell managed to beat last years attempt by four minutes. Laura Broughton was really pleased to have knocked twelve minutes from her previous attempt and Bex MacDonald also gained a PB time. Kat Hall ran a respectable ‘middle of the field’ race. Dee Lawerence decided it was time to take the plunge and do an event. She chose running 5 miles in the dark and completed it in a very respectable hour. Terry Bewes also took part in the Night Jar in the Sweeper position and ran with Dee.

Tim Swarbrick took on the 10 miler and enjoyed it, so much so, that he took a wrong turning halfway around! He noticed that the competitors that were behind him had all taken a different route…and then the penny dropped! Fortunately he had not gone far off route and only lost a few places.

Results: 

What Came Before 5k…Kyle Baker 6th, 25m58s. Suzi Rockey 18th, 31m31s. Nikita Kay 35th, 37m19s. David Skinner 40th, 39m31s. Alexa Baker 43rd, 41m39s. Terry Bewes 46th 43m59s.

What Came Before 10k…Antony Hall 1st Male, 1st MV40 in 43m38s. Christine Farnham 18th, 31m31s. Karen Farnham 26th, 1h00m05s.

Night Jar 5 miles…Kyle Baker 12th, 44m58s. Becky MacDonald 19th, 47m45s. Laura Broughton 29th, 51m05s. Kat Hall 35th, 53m29s.

Julia Haddrell 59th, 58m58s. Doreth (Dee) Lawrence 70th, 01h06m41s. Terry Bewes 71st, 01h06m42s.  

Adrian Goes Wild In The Extreme.

On Saturday the 14th of September, Adrian Horne took part in the Hospice Wild Tri Extreme on Dartmoor writes Hamish Spence. 

He completed a 32 km cycle ride on a route that skirts around the Meldon Reservoir and some steep ascents onto the wild tops of Dartmoor. After that, he ran a 13 km trail onto one of the highest Torrs of Dartmoor, a climb that Adrian completed a fortnight ago doing a marathon. However this time it involved crossing boggy terrain, a water course, rocks and more mud. Adrian was back and taking on Yes Torr again, but with a renewed enthusiasm to beat this brute. Beat it he did, coming in 17th over all, in a good time of 4h51m, raising £144.00 for Hospice Care while he was at it. 

A First  Marathon For Allan Kay 

A First  Marathon For Allan Kay 

Allan Kay took part in the Trail running challenge, Dartmoor marathon which was organised by Trail Events Co writes Hamish Spence. 

Allan, who is 46, took part in this, his first ever marathon and found it quite a tough race. However, as he is running the 2020 London Marathon for charity he wanted to push himself with his training program and see where his fitness level has got too. Allan really enjoyed the race up until mile 22, where he felt he started to struggle. However, he was not about to give up and he knew he would complete the route. He was really pleased with his time-keeping, although he didn’t have a set finish time in mind, his only goal was to finish it. Allan finished 21st out of 39 runners and 5th out of 9 in the vets category.

Featured image: Allan Kay during The Dartmoor Marathon 2019. Photo by @kb_pho_vid. 

Sidbury Fun Run.

The 21st Sidbury Fun Run, part of the Sidbury Fair Week, was held on a beautiful, very warm morning last Sunday writes Sarah Ginsberg. 

There were over 180 entrants, both runners and walkers, ranging in age from babies in buggies to grandparents, together with many of their four legged friends. Eight Mighty Greens took part; Naomi Garrick, Rachel Burrows, Michael Ginsberg, Sarah Ginsberg, Paula Farrand, Bert Dykema, Emma Grainger and Jenny Benattar. 

The Sidbury Fun Run is a surprisingly tough run although relatively short. It starts up hill, all the way to the top of Evergreen Hill, a mere 550 feet of climbing. Then follows an even longer uphill section of 596ft with a very welcomed downhill and cooler run through the woods. A short pass in-front of Sidbury Manor and on to the finish line at the Village Hall. Here, a delicious hog roast and cold beer was on offer, along with a fine pottery souvenir mug for all finishers. This was a great family event with a fabulous community atmosphere.

First Mighty Green home was Sarah Ginsberg (2nd Open Lady), followed by Naomi Garrick and Paula Farrand (2nd Local Lady).

Kirsteen wins Chippenham Half

Kirsteen Smashes The Chippenham Half Marathon
   The Chippenham Half Marathon was selected as the event for the SW Inter Counties Road Championships. There were teams from all over the South West in attendance all there with the opportunity of winning team medals writes Hamish Spence. 
   This half marathon took pace along a fast and pancake flat route and is known for competitors achieving personal best times, as Kirsteen Welch was to find out. The event which is organised by Chippenham Harriers, started by heading through the town centre of Chippenham and out into the rural roads passing through the villages of Stanley The Tythertons, Avon, Kellaways, Langley Burrell and back into the town to finish at  the Chippenham Sports Club. 
   This was a good opportunity for Kirsteen to pit herself against some top county road runners. Her coach, Norman Wilson gave the advice for her to “Go out with the top women, hang on in there and see how you do”. This is exactly what happened.
   Annabel Granger representing Bristol went out fast right from the start (a sub 6min/ mile pace). Kirsteen followed her immediately, fully expecting to blow up halfway around. But that never happened. Sticking with Annabel, Kirsteen felt strong and comfortable with the pace. Mile eight passed, both ladies were still averaging a six and a bit min/miles until mile 9 when Kirsteen started to tire. She had dropped back by about 5metres! Giving herself a good talking too, digging deep and embracing the pain, Kirsteen picked up the pace and managed to close the gap. At around mile twelve, Kirsteen took the lead. She manage to hold on to that lead and even extended it all the way to the finish line. With the crowd cheering her on, she took 1st place for the ladies in what was to be a PB time of 1h20m16s. Her previous PB of 1:24:18 which she set back in February this year when taking part in the Gloucester half marathon. She has bittersweet memories of that event as she got injured not long afterwards. 
   Both Devon teams had a fantastic day, the Ladies taking gold and the Men’s team the silver with Tom Merson also being 1st man across the finish line.

City to Sea

City To Sea Again For Jo
Jo Earlam took part in the City To Sea Marathon on the 7th of September for the second year in succession. This is a very challenging event which starts from the Exeter Riverside and follows the coast path to Babbacombe Downs in Torquay. This event lulls the runner into a very false sense of ease with around twenty miles of relatively flat running along the River Exe, the canal and down the Exe Estuary passing Starcross and Dawlish Warren. It is only after you leave Shaldon and re-join the South West Coastal Path, that the real challenge actually begins.
Jo was keeping up a steady 12 min/mile pace until halfway, then slowed to a jog/walk pace for the next six miles. After Shaldon, for the hilly section which she knew was coming up, her pace dropped to a mostly walk pace. Even though she had slowed dramatically for the last six miles, Jo was still passing other competitors. This was Jo’s first run of more than six miles since spraining her ankle back in July. More importantly this was her 71st Marathon to date.

Dartmoor Marathon

Dartmoor Marathon

Adrian looking pleased at the end of the Dartmoor Marathon on 31st August. It’s a 26.5 mile off-road race over wild Dartmoor and includes the tops of Yes Tor and High Willhays.

Exmouth to Erddig – Mighty Greens out and about

The Mighty Greens were out at 5 different parkruns last Saturday, 24th August.