The Burrator Noir, one of Devon’s original night runs, attracted 150 runners with head torches which, helpfully, coincided with a super moon, connecting runners to the feral side of Dartmoor and helped raise some money for Devon Air Ambulance in the process.
Runners chose between a 10km road run around the reservoir perimeter and a ten-mile, off-road ‘jaunt’ (an original part of the Wild Run series) towards Princetown and back along the Devonport leat.
However, despite the bright moonlit start, the ten-milers were hindered by a ‘gothic’ fog, which meant some runners relied on their navigation skills, and instinct, to guide them safely around the old railway track towards the quarries near Kings tor, before crossing the B3212.
Charlie Baker led the pack of hardy runners off the gnarly climb from the reservoir, up towards Whiteworks, but his inner hound betrayed a Conan Doyle double plot, when he passed a marker taking them along the boundary stones and added on a chunk of distance.
Although, he later made this detour up, he had spent all of his energy and Wild Night Run Series regular, Mark Budge finished first in an impressive 1hr 11. 52, with Baker second in 1hr18. And Mark Rayner third in 1 hr 22.45.
In the women’s race, Lucy Longbottom won the tussle with Ayesha Gillespie at 1hour 28.16min to 1hour 32.39min, followed by home by Louise Hall in 1hour 4.26min.
In the 10k, Ronnie Haynes took the win in 36 mins 50, from Arran Webb (38.52) and Stan Sergent (38.51). Freya Morrissey led the women home in 44.55 from Fern Robertson 45.43 and Fern Barratt (46.15). Next race in the 3-to-count-series is Night On The Edge at Mount Edgcumbe on November 30th.
