The idea of running from one coast of Devon, across the county – taking in the splendours of Dartmoor en route – as a club relay event was the brainchild of Terry Oldham and the first successful attempt at it happened last year. Keen to repeat the 2 day event, with its overnight camp in Bow, at Dawn and Hugh’s lovely home, Terry organised the relay again this year but with the added twist of running it in reverse this year: North to Sotuh, from Lynmouth to Wembury, as opposed to South to North like last. En route the runners pass through some of the most splendid scenery the county has to offer: Exmoor, mid Devon farmland, Dartmoor, and the woods and farmland of the Erme Valley and South Hams.
As the organiser in chief, Terry Oldham quite appropriately toed the start line on Lynmouth beach with club stalwart Scott-2-Trigs-Jordan at about 8.30 am on the Saturday morning to tackle the first leg. A group of supporting Harriers cheered and waved them off, grateful that Terry was the one clutching the map and in charge of navigation (!) and the pair and the pebble (a.k.a., the baton) started out on their epic journey.
Terry and 2 Trigs were soon climbing the 1000 plus ft of climb 2.7 miles in and heading towards the hand-over at Coombe Park. Anthony Hatchard and Marc Cox then took proud possession of the pebble before heading off over Cheriton Ridge to Exe Head and the descent to Simonsbath. That sounds simple enough, but this is a tough moorland section of 9.5 miles, and although two of the quickest runners in the club, it took them longer than expected to cover the distance. Waiting at Simonsbath were Hugh Marsden and Adam Miller, itching to get going on a delightful section of the route along the river Barle to Withypool. They scampered along this 7 mile leg in record time, getting the pebble back on track again for its hand-over at Withypool.
The first task of the day was to choose an appropriate pebble to act as the relay baton. Terry seems to think that he's running an 'Iron Man Coast to Coast' this year!
2 Trigs wanted something that was more to scale so, after a stern exchange of words, Terry was forced to select an alternative pebble.
Terry and 2 Trigs were soon climbing the 1000 plus ft of climb 2.7 miles in and heading towards the hand-over at Coombe Park. Anthony Hatchard and Marc Cox then took proud possession of the pebble before heading off over Cheriton Ridge to Exe Head and the descent to Simonsbath. That sounds simple enough, but this is a tough moorland section of 9.5 miles, and although two of the quickest runners in the club, it took them longer than expected to cover the distance. Waiting at Simonsbath were Hugh Marsden and Adam Miller, itching to get going on a delightful section of the route along the river Barle to Withypool. They scampered along this 7 mile leg in record time, getting the pebble back on track again for its hand-over at Withypool.
Here, it was a family affair, with Nigel Dupain and his son, Chris, and daughter, Emma and Devon (faithful dog and mascot – appropriately named, considering the challenge!), all eager and waiting to begin their six-mile leg to Hawkridge, which again followed the Barle for much of the distance before a steep and challenging climb from Tarr Steps up to Hawkridge.
In Hawkridge, with the kettles boiling for a brew up for the support team, was Carly Miller and Elaine Kale who took the pebble and disappeared quickly to Anstey Common and struck a bearing south to Knowstone. The sleepy hamlet of Knowstone was woken up by the flotilla of cars and noisy Harriers who were lined up ready to greet Carly, Elaine and the pebble at the end of their eight mile leg.
2 Trigs and Chris Dupain, both of whom had elected (or been elected?!) to run two legs of the route on that day, shot off through the churchyard to Knowstone Moor and the waiting village of Witheridge, covering a distance of eight miles. The two runners made superb time and arrived early and they handed over to Lorraine Gilson and Stan Mason with 8.8 miles of mid Devon farmland stretching out ahead of them.
Team Dupain, ably assisted by their appropriately named mascot, Devon, prepare to embark on their leg to Hawkridge.
Elaine and Carly arrive in Knowstone after a successfully navigated and well-timed leg.
2 Trigs and Chris Dupain, both of whom had elected (or been elected?!) to run two legs of the route on that day, shot off through the churchyard to Knowstone Moor and the waiting village of Witheridge, covering a distance of eight miles. The two runners made superb time and arrived early and they handed over to Lorraine Gilson and Stan Mason with 8.8 miles of mid Devon farmland stretching out ahead of them.
The last leg for day 1 was for Dawn Teed and Joan Mason, waiting patiently at Morchard Bishop, and then away heading over the lanes and byways of mid Devon to the end of their leg at Thorne Orchard some 6.9 miles away. Thorne Orchard is the home of Dawn Teed and Hugh Marsden, and gracious hosts both, they looked after their guests very well with a Devon cream tea to start with and later hot food, a welcome shower and a campsite to rest the weary legs and recharge the batteries before day 2!
Sunday morning dawned and brought with it a rather gloomy presence and grey skies, suggesting that the day was going to be a wet one. First off were Anthony Hatchard and Scott-2-Trigs-Jordan, leaving Thorne Orchard by the back door, they were on their way over the highways and byways via Castle Drogo and the Teign valley to Chagford Bridge. An absolutely stunning section, estimated to be about 11 miles, but the GPS actually read 14 miles at the end. Anthony then handed a quick kiss and a pebble to his wife, Lisa Hatchard, who then, accompanied by Lorraine Gilson, had eight miles of mainly uphill lanes and paths to navigate before coming out on to Dartmoor, near to Fernworthy reservoir and the change over at Bennetts Cross. By this time the cloud was low, so low in fact, that they were running in it and anxious eyes eventually spotted them trudging across the moor to the car park.
Joan, the last runner on day one, carefully hands over the 'baton' to Anthony and 2 Trigs who were the first runners off on day 2, whilst Adam supervises to ensure it's a clean handover whilst sipping his morning cuppa!
Sunday morning dawned and brought with it a rather gloomy presence and grey skies, suggesting that the day was going to be a wet one. First off were Anthony Hatchard and Scott-2-Trigs-Jordan, leaving Thorne Orchard by the back door, they were on their way over the highways and byways via Castle Drogo and the Teign valley to Chagford Bridge. An absolutely stunning section, estimated to be about 11 miles, but the GPS actually read 14 miles at the end. Anthony then handed a quick kiss and a pebble to his wife, Lisa Hatchard, who then, accompanied by Lorraine Gilson, had eight miles of mainly uphill lanes and paths to navigate before coming out on to Dartmoor, near to Fernworthy reservoir and the change over at Bennetts Cross. By this time the cloud was low, so low in fact, that they were running in it and anxious eyes eventually spotted them trudging across the moor to the car park.
At the car park waited Dawn Teed, who was going to be guided over the next five mile section, (via Hookney Tor, Grims Pound and Hamel Down, to the change over at Dunstone Down), by Lisa Hatchard, who had decided that eight miles uphill was simply not enough. The next leg should really have been run by Scott-2-Trigs-Jordan, as Emma Dupain and Carly Miller discovered as they tackled its 8-ish miles in length, at Dunstone Down. Quickly descending from the Down they reached the hamlet of ‘Jordan’, and then on to Ponsworthy Bridge, Dr Blackall’s Drive, New Bridge, Holne, to the change over point at Scoriton.
Scoriton was the start for 14 miles of hard running for Adam Miller, Hugh Marsden and Marc Cox, including sections of the Abbotts Way, a derelict tramway, and Ivybridge Beacon, before descending rapidly from there to the change over point at Ivybridge Leisure Centre. Uncharacteristically for Hugh, he found himself flagging on this one and so the leg took them slightly longer than predicated.
So, Ivybridge Leisure Centre witnessed Ben White and Emma Dupain (yes, running again) eager to get underway. They disappeared down the riverside path towards Yealmpton, some nine miles away. With all participants now re-grouped and the flotilla of cars in convoy, the short journey to the change over point commenced. Some 30 minutes later all were back in Ivybridge having been thwarted by a road closure, and with the occasional swear word en route, the armada arrived in Yealmpton, only a minute or two after Emma and Ben!
Top navigation skills were needed by Lisa and Dawn for their leg across the rugged, open moor, which they had to run in some rather atmospheric Dartmoor mist.
Scoriton was the start for 14 miles of hard running for Adam Miller, Hugh Marsden and Marc Cox, including sections of the Abbotts Way, a derelict tramway, and Ivybridge Beacon, before descending rapidly from there to the change over point at Ivybridge Leisure Centre. Uncharacteristically for Hugh, he found himself flagging on this one and so the leg took them slightly longer than predicated.
The three stooges - Adam, Marc and Hugh - await the start of their tough leg to Ivybridge.
So, Ivybridge Leisure Centre witnessed Ben White and Emma Dupain (yes, running again) eager to get underway. They disappeared down the riverside path towards Yealmpton, some nine miles away. With all participants now re-grouped and the flotilla of cars in convoy, the short journey to the change over point commenced. Some 30 minutes later all were back in Ivybridge having been thwarted by a road closure, and with the occasional swear word en route, the armada arrived in Yealmpton, only a minute or two after Emma and Ben!
At the changeover point, the pebble was exchanged for the last time into the capable hands of Stan and Joan and it soon disappeared up the hill, heading off to the final destination of Wembury.
After having been lovingly cared for and carried across some of the most challenging terrain in Devon, Stan rather less carefully delivers the pebble to its final resting place at Wembury by 'wanging' it down beach!
With cameras clicking, Stan and Joan arrived looking enthused by the run of some seven miles to the finish line. Stan then ceremonially placed the pebble on the beach in its final resting place at the end of its 125-mile journey. It sometimes took longer than expected to cover the various distances and it sometimes took less, but time was ‘not of the essence’. The essential quality of this event was in sharing the beautiful – often verging on darn right stunning – scenery that makes up our glorious county of Devon with some good friends and running club colleagues.
Thanks must once again go to Terry for all his hard efforts on organising the event, and of course, to Hugh and Dawn, for their welcome hospitality when opening up their home for the overnight stay.
The next big Harriers social event is a weekend of running, eating and wine sloshing in a bunk house on Exmoor. Once again, Terry has kindly stepped up and suggested the weekend and reserved a bunkhouse for 16 people, but that can be extended to 26 if enough are interested. It’s the weekend of 4/5/6th October, it’s only £10 per person, per night, and lots of Harriers are already signed up. So if you fancy a weekend of leisurely off-road runs at different speeds and distances, on Exmoor, followed by a retreat to the log fire in the bunk house for good food, wine and company, then speak to Terry and sign up soon.
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