Purple Gecko Smugglers Way
On Saturday Tom Poland and Charlie Temperley had an early start as they set off on the Purple Gecko Smugglers Way 37 mile coast to coast event. The race, starting at 6:30am goes straight across Cornwall from Boscastle on the north coast to Looe on the south.
This event is part of the Saints and Smugglers 100 Mile Challenge, which comprises of four self-navigation stages on different dates. Stage 1 was on the 9 March – the Polruan Shuffle at 12.5 miles from Looe to Polruan.
The Smugglers Way is the second in the series. After starting out from Boscastle, runners head south via Bodmin Moor, Brown Willy, multiple other Tors and through wooded fields and lush green valleys before finishing in the seaside town of Looe.
They didn’t get the weather they were promised for this gruelling ultra and spent over 4 hrs running in the relentless drizzle!
However, Tom had a phenomenal race and was right up in the top 5 for most of the race, ultimately finishing in 7th place in an impressive time of 6 hours 55 mins (all the more impressive as his distance was considerably in excess of the suggested, but unmarked, route). This was after Tom competed in the Manchester Marathon just 2 weeks ago.
Charlie also did very well finishing in 7 hrs 25 mins which earnt him 12th place (after not having seen another runner for 3.5hrs!) Charlie was pleased with his performance as his pace was quicker than it was on the significantly shorter Dartmoor in a Day ultra last summer.
It was the longest race for both ORC’s, and I don’t doubt they will be back again next year! At the end they had tired legs, but big smiles, and said it was a great day out.
ABP Newport Marathon
Mike Westland headed to Newport for the weekend to take part in the ABP Newport Marathon on Sunday.
The route, devised by double Olympic marathon runner Steve Brace, offers iconic landmarks of the city, including the Transporter Bridge, the historic city centre, the modern riverfront and International Sports Village, as well as the stunning natural scenery and coastal wildlife of the nearby Gwent Levels.
The Newport Marathon boasts one of the flattest marathon courses around – ideal for first timers or those looking for a fast time. After a cold start the weather changed and was brighter. Mike had a good run, finishing in 4:03:22 giving him 11th place in his age category. This was 5 mins faster than his last marathon in Brighton last year and just 4 minutes just outside his PB that he gained at Edinburgh two years ago. Well done Mike.
Beacon Beast Marathon
After running the London Marathon last weekend, Jo Page headed to Bodmin on Sunday for the Beacon Beast Marathon.
This race is slightly over marathon distance, a multi-terrain challenge with some amazing views to remember. The unique figure of eight route is based on the Bodmin Way, incorporating five very different churches along the way offering support to the runners.
The route takes in the delights of Lanhydrock National Trust Estate, Redmoor Nature Reserve, the Bodmin Beacon and Cardinham Woods. It’s a mixture of trail and road running with around 3,000ft of elevation.
The weather was perfect, which added to the views and made the race even more enjoyable. Jo was pleased with her time of 4:01:1 coming home 3rd female & 7th place overall.
Sunday Social Run
However, ORC is not all about racing. We have an active membership who just enjoy being part of the club and love running in the beautiful countryside around Okehampton. On Sunday 8 members took part in the Sunday social run which covered a distance of just over 9km. It took them from the start of the Granite Way through the bluebell woods, up to the moor and home via the camp. It was a glorious morning and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
