OKEHAMPTON Running Club were represented by a four-strong party at Exwick on Tuesday July 2 to run the flat two-lap course around the playing fields.
As per usual, the long section beside the water offered some resistance in the form of a mild to moderate headwind, but the runners were able to meet the challenge with strong performances.
Chris Turner was first home and despite struggling to maintain pace in the last part of the race, achieved a very quick time of 17.29.
Andrew Vernon (19.08) took 2nd M55, Claudine Benstead (20.13) took top spot in the F60 category and then Paul Evison (22.55) came second in the M70 category for this event.
Elsewhere, there were a trio of ORCs taking part in Purple Gecko’s “The Smugglers Bail Out” event based at Jamaica Inn, Bodmin.
The idea of the event is that runners escape the ‘government men’ who set off an hour later by getting as far away from the Inn as possible, and a four-hour “Scoundrel” or eight-hour “Bootlegger” route can be chosen.
Bootlegger Carole Loader came in as second female, completing 28.5 official miles. “Run in as straight a line as I could and hope that other smugglers are easier to catch” was her mantra for the event.
“First up, [it was the] boggy Bodmin Moor before picking up lanes across Cornwall and into Devon where I then continued into Dartmoor.”
Scoundrels Jennifer and Benjamin Law also took part in the event with Jennifer securing 1st female home running 14.9 miles and Benjamin completing the same distance and the 3rd male home.
Meanwhile, there was the Cosdon Hill Race, which has been taking place for many years.
50 runners took their own line from Belstone Village to the beacon on the top of Cosdon Hill then race back to Belstone to finish on the green. The distance is approximately 3.1 miles with a climb of around 300m over rough open terrain.
In keeping with the traditions and skills required by British fell racing, self-navigation is required by all runners (there are no course markers).
There was an excellent showing of ORCs at this event; the sun shone after a morning of showers and the course record was broken by 12 seconds!
ORC results were as follows: Luke Stannus– 29 m 23s (1st MU19); Tom Poland– 32m 4s; Joseph Lane- 33m 39s; Aiden Spinney- 34m 30s (1st MU17); Stewart Taylor- 35m 21s; Charlie Temperley- 36m 5s; Bernard Stricker- 36m 28s; Arthur Hicks- 38m 4s; Rob Hicks 38m 6s; Claire Grubb- 39m 34s; Claire Watkins- 40m 51s (1st F50); Matt Grint- 46m 9s; Sarah Dean- 57m 33s (1st F60).
In the junior section: Alistair Taylor- 9m 42s (1st place MU11); Jacob Lane – 9m 56s (2nd place MU11) and Laurence Hicks- 15m 21s.