THE Exeter Half Marathon took place over two days, the Saturday race for competitive runners having a cut off time of two hours and the Sunday race being open to all.

Four runners from Okehampton Running Club took part on the first day. Andy Vallance finished third overall and Chris Turner and Mike Baker posted personal best times.

The race on Sunday came close to being cancelled due to the police having closed a section of the route shortly before the scheduled start time which they were investigating as a crime scene. Thanks to excellent negotiation between them and Peter Ferlie, the race director, the event was allowed to go ahead over a re-routed course which turned out to be short of the 13.1 mile official half marathon distance by about 500 yards.

Roger Voaden was second overall and first MV50 with Paul Carter finishing in sixth, second male veteran 50. Marilyn Cooper won the FV60 section and Ged Fitzgibbon was second MV65.

ORC times: Saturday — Andy Vallance 1 hours 19 minutes 02 seconds, Chris Turner 1.26.11, Nick Seccombe 1.33.59, Mike Baker 1.36.39 Sunday – Roger Voaden 1.18.07, Paul Carter 1.23.25, Rob Kelly 1.24.10, Andrew Thorne 1.39.54, Mike Westland 1.46.09, Marilyn Cooper 1.49.40, Nicola Smith 1.52.16 and Ged Fitzgibbon 1.56.06

The fourth leg of the Frank Elford Westward Cross League was on the same day just down the road at Stover School near Newton Abbot. The conditions were challenging after the rain of the week before. Paul Crease led the ORC team to finish first for the club ahead of Matt Pitson. Nick Seccombe and Chris Turner were out again after their race the day before, and Stuart May ran most of the way clutching part of his shoe which had become detached in the mud.

ORC times: Paul Crease 34.55, Matt Pitson 35.31, Chirs Turner 38.19, Nick Seccombe 41.35, Stuart May 42.01