Intrepid Okehampton Running Club members tackled mud, ice, bogs, rocks, freezing temperatures and steep hills across several off-road races over the past week.

The tough certainly got going when they entered races across the region and did not let the terrain or weather thwart multiple successes.

Two club members had an active New Year’s Eve, taking part in trail runs to finish the year on a high. Pearl Barnes, well-known for her love of a good 10k, tackled the Running Events Devon Bell Challenge 10k.

The course consisted of two laps along the scenic cyclepath from Exmouth to Budleigh, but the conditions were far from easy with temperatures dropping to minus three degrees.

Pearl described the day as gorgeous weather but her legs felt like treacle, highlighting the challenge of running in icy conditions.

Despite this, she delivered an outstanding performance, completing the slightly over-distance course in 58 minutes and 21 seconds, her second-fastest 10km time to date. A brilliant achievement to round off the year.

Lucy Gooding headed to Sidmouth for the Final Countdown 10km, an event she had enjoyed last year and was keen to repeat.

Starting on Sidmouth seafront, the route climbed the South West Coast Path before looping inland around Mutters Moor and nearby woodland trails, finishing with a descent into Connaught Gardens.

Lucy described the event as the perfect way to end the year, praising the stunning views, friendly marshals, and challenging trail terrain. She completed the course in one hour and 16 minutes.

New Year’s Day saw a group of ORCs take on the famous Brown Willy run from Jamaica Inn to Brown Willy and back, raising funds for East Cornwall Search and Rescue.

Braving freezing temperatures and a few lingering hangovers were Lou and Ian Duffield, Jo-Anne and Phil Turner, Andrew Thorne, Rob Hicks, Robert Richards, Claire Watkins, Jo Page, Paul Crease, and Sophie Casavieille. A great turnout for a worthy cause.

On Saturday, January 3, Mags Jarvis completed her 25th Parkrun as part of her Run the Month Marathon Edition challenge in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.

She completed the Simmonds Park Parkrun in Okehampton and although conditions were not ideal for personal bests, Mags was thrilled to finish 1st in the W70-74 category and 5th overall on age grading. The race added 3.2 miles to her marathon challenge.

Saturday, January 3, also saw the return of the Sir Walter Raleigh Round half marathon at Budleigh Salterton, described by Ian Ripper as having the poshest race HQ in Devon.

Despite icy patches, the team enjoyed glorious views. Ian finished first ORC in 2h:00:47, followed by Pearl Barnes in 2:37:00, and Peter Roissetter, battling a bad cold, in 2:48:00. Ian even beat his 2024 time by three seconds.

Jo Page, represented Devon in the South West Inter-County Cross Country Championships (at Royal Naval Air Squadron Merryfield in Somerset). She helped the team secure 4th place with 126 points in this competitive and scenic event.

Finally, Ian Duffield and Deane Andrews took on an epic bet-turned-challenge - the real test of endurance Ring Road Challenge.

This involved running laps of the ring road, totalling 65 miles (just over 100km). Starting at 3pm on Friday, January 2, they ran through snow and ice, supported by club friends who tracked their progress. What an incredible feat to kick off 2026.