ON Sunday, the Bere Alston Trekkers took on Puretrail’s Hameldown Hammer.

The event started and finished in the village of Widecombe-In-The-Moor, at the foot of the Hameldown ‘massif’ and surrounded by some of Dartmoor’s most iconic granite.

The Hammer is a tough, challenging half marathon distance trail race, designed to be a serious test of endurance.

The event has a total ascent of more than 600 metres. It is 98% trail, over a series of well defined, grassy, rocky, sometimes muddy tracks and through forestry glades.

Most significantly, there is a double ascent of the Hameldown Ridge which rises high and steep, and affords spectacular views of the moor and tors, with some of the best trail running Dartmoor has to offer.

Despite freezing conditions on Dartmoor, lady BAT Natasha Hingston ran this distance for the first time, and it was also the first timed race of this distance for lady BAT Sarah Bartlett.

Conditions were cold and the ground was icy but the views were far-reaching and spectacular.

The first male over the line for the BATs was Andrew Bowden followed by the rest of the BAT ladies including Marcia Macey, Julie Page, Sam Harte-Latremouille and Heather French, all hard on his heels, and supporting each other to the end and to a well deserved finishers medal.

Fruitloop and her human Debbie Ashton were one of 38 canicrossers taking part in a charity event at Sibleyback Lake, near Liskeard, in aid of ‘Believe in Aiden’ which raised more than £600 for the charity.

The course was just under 5k, and their time was 23 minutes 08 seconds, which placed Debbie and Fruitloop third in their category.

The next outing for the BATs is next weekend’s Cousin Jack trail race at St Ives.