Summer Series 5k
Last Tuesday three ORC’s travelled to Exeter to take part in the third of the series of six races in the summer series. This is a great traffic free and pancake flat 5km run on footpaths and cycle tracks around Exwick Playing Fields and the River Exe Flood Relief. This event is suitable for people chasing PB’s along with novice runners.
Claudine Benstead finished in 20:32, (first in her age category) Paul Evison in 23:15 (second in his age category) and Jackie Dawes in 26:14 (second in her age category). Claudine and Jackie had taken part in the other two events held in April and May.
Dartmoor Discovery 2025
On Saturday six hardy ORC’s braved the wind and rain to run the Dartmoor Discovery 2025. The route is just shy of 33 miles and is the UK’s longest single lap road ultra marathon. The race starts and finishes in Princetown, taking runners up and down some of the toughest hills including the steep climb out of Ashburton. The route travels through Dartmeet, Poundsgate, Buckland in the Moor, Widecombe and Postbridge before taking the road back to Princetown. Run by the Teighbridge Trotters, the event has quite the following with people returning year after year to compete in this challenging race.
Being Dartmoor in June, the event has seen a range of weathers over the years. Last year, the runners endured blistering heat. This year, runners were ‘treated’ to almost non-stop rain throughout. The sun did show signs of coming through but didn’t quite make it!
Adding to the challenge, runners must hit checkpoints by certain times in order to continue the race. The half-marathon cut-off is 2 hours and 53 minutes, the 20 mile cut-off is 4 hours and 15 and the marathon cut-off is 5 hours and 30 minutes. To achieve a recorded time, runners must be back at HQ by 6 hours and 45 minutes.
Robert Kelly and Chris Turner have completed the route on multiple occasions, with Rob appearing in the “Hall of Fame” (runners who have completed 9 or more of the event). Lucy Gooding returned for a second time having also completed the course in 2024. Three ORC’s deciding to give the event a go for the first time were Shaun Fryett, Mo and Sarah Marvin. To put it into context Shaun described the course as the “hardest run I’ve ever done.”
First ORC home in 6th place overall was Chris Turner in 4 hours 5 minutes followed quickly by Rob Kelly in 4 hours and 18 minutes (11th overall). Shaun Fryett was next ORC home in 5 hours and 31 minutes and the three achieved the 2nd fastest male team award. Mo and Sarah Marvin completed the route in 6 hours and 10 minutes, and Lucy Gooding managed to get in just inside the cut-off in 6 hours and 39 minutes.
Boscastle Scramble
Also on Saturday Carole Loader braved the torrential rain to talk part in stage 3 of the Saints & Smugglers 100 Mile Challenge. There are four unique, self-navigation stages on four different dates culminating in the legendary Saints & Smugglers 100 Mile Challenge. People can sign up for one or commit to all 4 in order to complete the 100 Mile challenge!
This race is 26.2 miles along the North Cornwall Coast path from Rock to Boscastle with 3 checkpoints along the way, with some hefty up and downs and a 9 hour cut off time. Carole did well and finished in a time of 6:45:56, seventh placed female and third in her age category.
Wirral Marathon
Richard Davies travelled north to run in the Wirral Marathon on Saturday. It was the first time the marathon has been held there for 40 years, organised by the local Paul Lavelle Foundation, a charity set up in memory of Paul Lavelle to support male victims of domestic abuse.
The marathon took a very flat route along the north Wirral coast, which was scenic despite the wind and rain! Given the conditions, Richard very happy to finish in a time of 3:00:14.
Oke Croak!
On Sunday nine ORC’s took part in the Oke Croak! Organised by Okehampton Running Club this race is part of the Fell Runners Summer Series. The race takes a tour of the northern moor with the 10+ miles and 2,000ft+ challenging to any runner.
This route goes from Okehampton to Oke Tor and on to Yes Tor before dropping back to Okehampton. It is a beautiful route which allows runners to choose their own course between the compulsory checkpoints.
Due to difficulty of marking the course accurately, self-navigation is required by all runners.
Fortunately, the rain of the day before had passed, and they had a lovely weather window making it a far pleasant run for the competitors. It was a bit wet and muddy underfoot but not too bad considering the day before. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and had a great morning out on the moor.
The results were:
Joe Lane 1:32:37, Stewart Taylor 1:33:24, Claire Watkins 1:46:17 – first in her age category, Ian Ripper 1:48:38 – first in his age category, Charlie Temperley 1:49:47, Dean Andrew 1:55:40, Bernard Stricker 1:59:52, Charlie Collier 2:11:38 and Claire Thompson 2:12:02
Some very fast runners turned up for the event and the course record was smashed by Sam Kelly of Exmouth Harrier in a superb time of 1:13:36.
Bradleys Exmouth 10km Spring (& Autumn)
Also on Sunday Mark Peck travelled to Exmouth for the popular, flat, tarmac road race now going into its seventh year.
The Spring and Autumn races are run on exactly the same route giving competitors the chance to compare their times usually in March (but June for 2025) and September.
The race starts on the beautiful Exmouth Seafront with runners heading up to Orcombe point before looping round the flagpole and back along the full length of the beachfront, then another turning point to bring runners back around to start their second lap for the 10km.
The sun came out, (fortunately no rain!) but Mark found the sea breeze held him up a little, but he still finished in 22nd place (out of 207 runners) in a time of 42:52.
