Three Shires Fell Race
On Saturday, Tom Poland, Ian Duffield, Joe Lane and friend Rob Jinman headed to the Lake District for the Three Shires Fell Race.
Starting from Tilberthwaite the route covered 13 tough miles with over 5000 feet of ascent over some beautiful terrain including Coniston and the Little Langdale Fells. Conditions were cold, wet and slippery underfoot and there were some very steep climbs and descents but there were also amazing views through the clouds.
They were glad of the free hot drinks and cakes at the finish which helped to restore warmth and blood sugar levels! Tom finished in exactly 3hrs, Ian in 3hrs18 and Joe and Rob in 4hrs6 after assisting a fellow runner.
The Woods
Also on Saturday, Claire Grubb travelled to Tehidy Woods in Cornwall for Bys Vyken Events’ The Woods. This is a 4 mile looped trail race on a testing and hilly route with all the entanglements you would expect in the woods!
Participants pick a duration of 3, 6, 9 or 12 hours and run as many laps as possible. Unusually for a distance event, more women had entered than men; a demonstration of just how inclusive and welcoming Bys Vyken’s events are.
Claire opted for Oak, the 12 hour option, and finished as first lady having run 14 laps totaling over 90kms. An amazing achievement especially with running through biblical rain showers!
Grindstone Running Festival by UTMB
On Saturday, whilst travelling on holiday with family, Peter Roisetter took part in the Grindstone Running Festival by UTMB.
Peter ran the half marathon trail race starting and finishing at Natural Chimneys near the Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.
He said the humidity and a temperature of 28 degrees did not make for ideal running conditions! However he was pleased to finish in 48th place as first British runner in 2hrs39.
Warhorse 10k
The Warhorse 10km ‘remembering the role of horses in the first World War’ is a popular, sell-out event starting and finishing in the beautiful village of Iddesleigh.
Raising £20,000 for charities in the 7 years it has been running, the route takes runners around quiet village lanes and includes a couple of bumper hills! This Sunday, 16 ORCs took part in this brilliant local event, enjoying the cakes, tea and coffee put on by volunteers beforehand and then a well-deserved pint in the Duke of York pub afterwards.
The event is always well supported with many locals coming out to cheer the runners on and to pack out the finish line to congratulate the finishers as they collect their medals.
There were some fantastic times from the ORC crew this year: Katie LittleJohns Riches 42.27 (1st senior female), Stephen Sincock 43.46 (1st MV60+), Ian Ripper 47:51, Deane Andrews 49:15, Matt Grint 52:31, Izzi Davison 53:54, Mary Roberts 54:57, Lou Duffield 55:23, Pearl Barnes 59:11 (a PB for 10k). Chris Fulford-Brown 59:35, Garry Wallace 1:00, Lucy Gooding 1:01, Eddie Kingdom 1:02, Carol Latham 1:04 (a PB for 10km), Jacqueline Shields 1:04, Nick Marvin 1:06 and Lois Rowlands 1:06.
The Doone Run
On Sunday, Shaun Fryett and Claire Watkins headed to Lynmouth to run one of Devon’s oldest races, the much loved Doone Run, now in its 3rd year since being relaunched by Ilfracombe Running Club.
The 10 mile mixed terrain route is designed to be a feast for the eyes and not so much fun on the legs with runners warned to prepare themselves for hills, stunning scenery, hills, goats and more hills!
As the race started, the early morning mist and drizzle lifted and the runners were treated to sunshine and stunning views around the course. As promised there were lots of steep climbs and slippery underfoot conditions after the recent rain, led to some hairy descents!
It was a brilliantly organised and fun race thanks to great marshals and support all round and there were very generous prizes for the finishers and winners. Shaun finished a very strong 7th overall and Claire crossed the line as first lady in 1hr31.
Berlin Generali 5k and Berlin Marathon
On Saturday, Jo Page kicked off her Berlin weekend by running the Berlin Generali 5k. 10,000 runners were treated to glorious sunshine, warm temperatures and supportive crowds with the run finishing at the iconic Brandenburg Gate where the Berlin marathon starts and finishes.
On Sunday, Jo then ran her 5th marathon major, the Berlin Marathon. Held annually on the streets of Berlin since 1974, and starting and finishing near the Brandenburg Gate, it passes many of the city’s iconic landmarks.
The course is flat and fast and the marathon world record has been broken here on 13 occasions. This Sunday however, conditions were unseasonably hot with temperatures rising to 27 degrees making it a real battle for the runners.
Although not finishing in the time she was hoping for, Jo was pleased to cross the line in 3hrs32 saying it was “a tough one, but so worth it”. She now just has one marathon major to run, the Tokyo marathon.
Torbay Half Marathon
Last but not least, also on Sunday Joff Stephens headed to the English Riveria to run the Torbay half marathon.
This scenic road race starts and finishes on Paignton seafront and follows a traffic-free, one-lap course along the coast passing historic sites such as Torre Abbey and Princess Gardens.
This was Joff’s first race since 2019 and he was certainly back with a bang crossing the line in an impressive 1hr27.
