The Exmouth Harriers have had a busy week, participating in several running competitions.
On the evening of June 19, 16 Harriers competed across three local events.
One of these was the Woodland Relays at Budleigh Salterton, hosted by the Harriers.
The race took place at the Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club and saw 45 teams from various East Devon running clubs share the track, including Axe Valley Runners, Honiton Running Club, Sidmouth Running Club and Exmouth Harriers.
The teams all tackled a 2-mile course, running alongside the picturesque River Otter.
Although the Axe Valley Runners dominated most of the event, the success of the Harriers' Veterans team was noteworthy.
Comprising Jimmy Joy, Adrian Barton, and Scott Jordan, they bagged the top spot in the 'oldies' category.
Summer Solstice Fell Race at Merrivale
On the same day, three others, Anthony Hatchard, Hugh Marsden, and Dawn Teed, participated in the 2024 Dartmoor Fell Race series at the Summer Solstice race at Merrivale.
Hatchard performed very well, securing the 3rd place overall, while Marsden and Teed emerged 2nd in the M60 and F60 categories, respectively.
Westcountry Mile at Exeter Arena
Aside from competing in traditional events, the Harriers daringly took part in more extreme challenges.
The Westcountry Mile at Exeter Arena saw Steve Morgan cross the finish line in a commendable 6.20.88 minutes.
Climb South West’s Jurassic Coast 100km Ultra
Notably, two brave runners dove into one of the most demanding challenges in the South West: the Climb South West’s Jurassic Coast 100km Ultra.
The race kicked off at 9pm on June 22, starting from Nothe Fort in Weymouth and ending in Exmouth.
The race wasn't without setbacks as participant Laura Walton had an unfortunate slip, injuring her knee.
She soldiered on, managing to cover an astounding 70km before the swelling forced her to withdraw.
She remained fiercely positive afterwards, saying: "I was having the best time until I had to drop out - but I’ll be back next year."
Her teammate, Chris Murrin, suffered a somewhat similar fate.
After a fall, Murrin managed to strap his knee and soldier on, finishing the race in 18 hours 36 minutes 47 seconds, securing the 30th position.
He added that despite the gruelling ordeal, he has planned another marathon for himself as he cheerfully announced after the race: "I have already planned my 135th for two weeks on Sunday, July 7."
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