FOUR Okehampton runners headed to Clatworthy Reservoir in west Somerset last Saturday for the Flying Fox Running’s Woods and Water race series.

The course was a five-mile loop around the edge of the reservoir with a mix of gravel, grass and mud running surfaces. Keeping the water on the runners’ left the route wound its way through densely shadowed woods and out again into open spaces with fantastic views of the reservoir and surrounding hills.

After a quick downhill blast from the start and across the dam, there was one of those hills that just keeps on giving – the path zigzagging its way to the top of the hill and threatening to leave nothing left in the legs for the steep descent on the other side. After that the course was undulating, with another hill at the end to keep the heart rate high on the dash to the finish.

The races began with the Daytime edition of 10 miles (two loops). Jeremy Tandy was the first ORC home in 69 minutes 9 seconds to take fouth place overall and first in her category. Jo Page finished in 79.16 to scoop first lady. Ian Page and Karen Gear completed the course in 91.20 secs and 94.43 secs respectively.

Four ORCs became two for the second race in the Dusk edition – a single loop of the five-mile course, but this time in the dark.

Head torches were mandatory kit but there was just enough light left in the sky for brave runners to soak up the atmosphere of running in the dark, with bats flitting around in the open spaces above the path.

At mile four, where the course turned back toward the finish, runners where greeted with the magnificent sight of head torches bobbing along beside the reservoir bank where they had been running minutes before. This time Jeremy Tandy came home in first place overall in a time of 34.19 and Jo Page was first lady once more in 40.45. On Saturday morning three Okehampton runners ran the weekly Tavy 5k where Robert Kelly came third in a time of 17 mins 35 secs, while Hayden Bond finished just four seconds behind him to set a new personal best of 17.39 with Paul Carter finishing in 19.11.