Harriers take centre stage at the Woodbury 10k

Report by Dave Eveleigh:

The Woodbury 10K road race was revived by the congregation of Christ Church in the village in 2010. It was held again last Sunday morning (22 September) when just short of 100 runners started the race. As might be expected most of these were local people but with plenty of entrants from Exmouth Harriers (who provide the technical know-how at no charge) and South West Road Runners. There was also a number from the Exmouth Belles Running Group. Other entries were from as far away as Germany and Dublin.

It might seem strange that a church should choose a Sunday morning for this event but they actually replace their service with what they see as Christian outreach which raises fund for the Tearfund Christian charity. Tearfund works globally, providing practical help to overcome poverty as well as working with traumatised children. The church members also want to be actively involved in their local community and the race is very much a local event with friends and relatives waiting at the finish by the Village Hall giving noisy encouragement. A typical entrant, keen also to be part of the community was local man, Richard Onley, from Woodbury Salterton who always enters. Despite poor health this year he managed to complete part of the run - a great achievement for him. So you end up with a local church congregation giving a dynamic demonstration of their beliefs largely on the roads and lanes around the village of Woodbury.

Local it may be, but the Woodbury 10K is still a race and very appropriately the first Exmouth Harrier home was Chris Dupain in 7th place in 40:51. The Dupain family have all lived in the village at varying points throughout their life and three more of them finished this race. Chris’ sister Hannah Bown was 10th in 42:48 and 2nd female, whilst recently married, younger sister Emma White was 35th in 47:59. Nigel-Pops-Dupain completed the family team in 50th with 50:58.

Not far behind Chris, in 8th overall and comfortably first woman, at the age of 51, was Harriers' Cathy Newman from Lympstone in a time of 41:08. Andy Johnson was next across the line in a swiftish 43:20. He was hotly pursued by Scott-2-Trigs-Jordan, who recorded a highly respectable time of 44:12 in 19th position. Roger Riggs was comfortably under the hour with 56:39 for 73rd place. 

A number of the Exmouth Running Belles female group have also joined Exmouth Harriers for the extra training opportunites that the club offers. Everybody seems pleasingly relaxed about which name they should run under and when and the nick-name Harribelles has recently been suggested for them as a 'catch-all' term. As far as can be told, at this race, Harribelles finishing were Lisa Broad, who was 56th in 51:40 and Alison Wilkinson in 75th with 56:52; indeed it was Lisa who coined the name “Harribelles”. 

Well done to all Harriers, Belles and/or Harribelles competing! A great course and always a hotly contested event too.