THE last of the autumn marathons took place on Sunday with the challenging Cornish Marathon.

This is now Cornwall’s only all road marathon and has been organised by the East Cornwall Harriers for the last thirty years.

Starting from Pensilva, the runners are taken on a scenic circular route out along the Draynes Valley to Jamaica Inn at Bolventor and back along the Fowey Valley.

With more than 2,000 feet of ascent and a steep climb from miles 24 to 25, this is a tough end to the marathon season.

Four Okehampton Running Club members took part and the first home for the club was Paul Carter, reversing his more accustomed position of a few minutes behind club mate Roger Voaden, to finish in 3 hours 12 minutes 51 seconds – coming 10th overall and first MV50. Roger was the next home, finishing in 3.15.29 to be placed 12th and second MV50, both of them improving on last year’s times, with Paul knocking 13 minutes off his and setting himself a new PB for the course.

Chris Turner also improved on his previous time by ten minutes, finishing with club mate Charlie Galley in 3.39.54.

At the Templar Wild Night run on Saturday evening Okehampton runner Gill Spinney took part in a brand new 10k route from Stover Country Park to Stover School, It was run on compact earth tracks through woods and fields as well as a section along the bank of the River Teign. After a warm up run with her daughter Kiera in the under eights 1k race, Gill had a good run round this relatively flat course to finish in 51.19, coming fourth in the FV40 age category.