THE third round of the Westward League Cross-Country races took place on Sunday.

Held in Exeter, this event included the Devon Championships where runners can qualify to go forward to represent the county later in the year.

Despite the recent heavy rain the course was in a reasonable condition, with just one uphill section being wet and muddy. The ladies were the first to race and this year Okehampton Running Club had an impressive ten runners competing.

The superb Jo Page was first home for the club, followed by Sarah Marvin, with newest member Claudine Benstead making an impressive debut two places behind and just ahead of Molly Marvin. Jo Bradford was next and then Karen King who has had a heavy cold and finished a little way behind.

Jane Jackson again came in just one place ahead of Christine Fritsch followed by Mags Jarvis and Mel Priday.

Not all of the ladies had entered the championships, but those who did had some excellent results, with Sarah Marvin and Jane Jackson both getting bronze in their age categories, while ORC’s senior ladies team of Jo Page, Sarah and Molly Marvin and Jo Bradford also claimed the team bronze. The ladies who did not medal were not far off, with Jo Page an excellent eighth in the biggest and most hotly contested senior ladies’ category.

Molly Marvin was fifth in the under 20 women, an improvement of three places from last year and qualifying her for the county championships too. Jo Bradford was fifth female veteran 45, Karen King fourth FV40, and Mags Jarvis fifth FV60.

There were two juniors running for the club, Tom and Sam Priday who both ran very well. Sam came in fifth in his Under 15 category, giving him the chance to go forward to run for Devon at county level.

The men also fielded a good turnout, running on a course that was considerably more churned up by now.

Paul Crease was back in the team after missing the Newquay fixture, leading them home with an excellent 53rd place to take the silver medal in the MV45 category.

Hugh Robinson was next, just out of the medals to be fourth MV40. Paul Carter ran a great race to be the next home but had not entered the championships and followed by another great run from Stephen Sincock.

Graham Bryant held off a fierce challenge on the run in, while Christian Davies and Indigo Ramsey were still overtaking runners in the finishing straight.

Jo’s dad, Ian Page, made a great comeback after having to pull out at Newquay with a calf injury, to claim bronze in the MV65 category.

It was also a comeback for Stuart May, who has been absent from the ORC team for two years.

One Okehampton Running Club member, Monika Richards, took a trip to Valencia in Spain to run the Valencia Marathon where the December average temperature of 16 degrees and the entirely flat course make for just the right conditions for a fast personal best.

The marathon is renowned for the music all along the course and the route is mainly suburban, but does take the runners through the old town and the Turia park, with a scenic stretch along the coast.

Monika had only completed one marathon before and was looking to improve on that time.

Unfortunately the weather was considerably hotter than usual and she found it hard in the 21 degrees, but determined to fulfil what she had set out to achieve, she pushed on as hard as she could to reap the reward of a sub-four hour finish, coming home in an impressive 3.55.26, an improvement of six minutes on her previous one.