Bys Vyken Utlra
This weekend saw another varied set of events and races being undertaken by members of Okehampton Running Club.
Starting at 6:30am on Saturday Claire Grubb took part in the Bys Vyken Utlra Jack which consists of 2 laps of the 18mile Classic Jack course from St Just to St Ives.
Billed as the most stunning and demanding part of the coast path this race is not for the faint hearted, but is an adventure you will never forget. The route has everything from muddy fields to rocky headlands, steep paths and endless bogs. Each turn and every hill offer a new challenge.
And if that wasn’t enough, once she had completed it once Claire had to embark on her second lap. The race comes in at 36 miles with 7000+ feet of elevation. This was only five weeks after she completed the Arc 100 and while nursing bursitis in her knee.
Claire finished with a watch time of 9 hours 17 minutes and was placed either 3rd or 4th female – results to follow.
Claire said, ‘It was a brilliant race, tackling some of the toughest sections of the Cornish coastline. Heavy rain and strong winds made the first few hours even more challenging, but when the sun finally came out, it felt all the more rewarding!’
Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships
Also on Saturday Luke Stannus and Jo Page travelled to Nottingham to take part in the 2025 UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships, supported by British Athletics at Wollaton Park.
This prestigious event brings together top cross-country runners from across the UK, competing for individual and team honours. Wollaton Park has diverse terrain which provides a challenging yet picturesque setting for competitors and spectators alike. To compete here athletes have to have been selected by their respective county associations.
Luke was representing Devon in the U20’s and completed the course in 29:43. Jo had a strong run in the senior ladies and came fourth in 35:51 commenting it was the best course she’d seen for spectators and support.
The Granite Way
The Granite Way 10 and 20 mile races are our local events organised by Exeter City Community Trust.
This event is billed as ideal for runners training for a spring Marathon or Half Marathon, offering either a 10 mile (one lap) or 20 mile (two lap) race option to test your training progress and giving you the chance to run through a unique landscape in our beautiful Devon countryside.
The event is well supported and 4 ORC’s competed, all in the 10mile race, on this bright but windy morning. First home and in third place overall was Roy Honeychurch in 1:06:06, Paul Evison in 1:4:27 first in his age category, Garry Wallace in 1:37:24 and Victoria Evison in 1:54:00.
Bideford Half Marathon
10 ORC’s entered the 30th Bideford Half Marathon, organised by Bideford Amateur Athletic Club – billed as the swift half! Runners of all abilities are welcomed, and this year they received a 2025 bespoke medal and T-shirt.
The relatively flat course takes in the magnificent countryside alongside the River Torridge between Bideford and Great Torrington, heading out on roads and returning on the Tarka Trail. It was a little windy on the way out and quite hot on the way back, but good times were recorded.
First ORC home was Chris Turner in 1:19:22 closely followed by Robert Kelly in 1:21:59. Stephen Sincock was next in 1:29:08 first in his age category and setting a new club record and then Claudine Benstead first in her age category and breaking her own British record for this distance in 1:29:40 – very well done to them.
Next was Mark Peck in 1:33:21and competing for the second day running Joanne Page in1:34:22 coming second in her age category, Paul Carter in 1:34:52. Lucinda Walsh and Ged Fitzgibbon tucked in just in front of the 2 hour pacer and came home in 1:54:51 and 1:55:09 respectively giving Ged second place in his age category, then Jane Richardson in 2:30:53 second in her age category.
This event always attracts a high-quality field of runners with 970 finishers this morning.
The Grizzly (Who let the Bogs out)
The final race of the weekend was the Grizzly organised by Axe Valley Runners. The Grizzly (Who let the Bogs out) starts and finishes at Seaton sea front going west along the coast past Beer before going inland to Branscombe and has more than 3,000′ ascent in its 20 miles and two sections of beach (pebbles), totalling well over a mile; two energy-sapping bogs, where runners are often up to their waists in water and mud; and the infamous “Stairway to Heaven”, a steep path up the side of a cliff (beware if you suffer from vertigo!)
It is expected to roughly take runners their road marathon time, perhaps longer if conditions are grim, but has a great atmosphere and Ian recommends that ‘every runner needs to do it once in their lives’… This event is more about atmosphere (and mud!) than times with competitors just out to get round and have a good time!
11 ORC’s took part in the challenge with 10 completing the Grizzly and 1 completing the Grizzly Cub (9 mile route). Nick Marving undertook the Cub and came home in a time of 2:09:13.
Ian Duffield was the first Grizzly back in 3:11:14 followed by Shaun Facett in 3:16:57, Eddie Kingdom in 3:32:14 then mother and daughter duo Sarah and Mo Marvin in 4:18:52/3, Matt Grint and Emma Jewell in 4:20:01, Angus Farrelly in 4:46:24 and Lou Duffield and Isobel Davison (running this distance for the first time) in 4:51:40/1.
A superb weekend of running in lovely weather by all the ORC’s.
