AFTER last week’s summer temperatures, this week it was back to the reality of wet and windy conditions more usual for this time of year. Unfortunately this change coincided with the Bideford Half Marathon, hosted by Bideford AAC and celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

This hugely popular race is often used by those training for marathons as a marker of how their training is going and starts on Bideford Quay taking the runners inland by road to the Puffing Billy at Torrington, where it turns onto the Tarka Trail to return to Bideford.

Okehampton Running Club had a good turnout of runners ready to take on this fast and flat course and they were led home by club chairman Jeremy Tandy. More accustomed to off road running and with only one previous road half marathon under his belt, his time of 1.25.37 gave him a 13 minute personal best. Hot on his heels was Hayden Bond, also setting a new pb with a great run in 1.25.39, while Stephen Sincock stormed home in 1.26.43 to claim the first MV55 prize and set a new club age category record.

Claudine Benstead, was the first ORC lady home in a superb time of 1.34.03, to win the FV55 category, also setting a new pb and new club record, while Jane Richardson continues to improve her times with a new pb of 2.16.33 , giving her third place in the FV65 group. There were more pbs and club records for the runners, with Jo Bradford clearly back on form to finish in 1.45.40, taking the club FV45 record and a PB of over two and a half minutes. Paul Evison knocked ten minutes off his previous pb with his first sub-two hour finish in 1.50.00, setting a new club MV65 record, while the biggest improvement came from Tom Andrew, whose time of 1.45.33 was nearly a 14 minute pb. Karen Vallance’s pb was set at Bideford eight years ago, so she was pleased to improve on that with her time of 1.46.26. Catherine Walker was running her first ever half marathon and finished in 2.20.02.

Other ORC times; Alec Robinson; 1.39.01, Monika Richards; 1.59.28, Lucy Brint; 2.03.26, Kate Wilson; 2.05.22, Geraldine Walter; 2.05.33, Viki Heyer 2.05.34, Lotte Smith; 2.11.17.

Further afield at the Duchy 20 — a 20 mile run — started with a downhill start from the Penventon Hotel in Redruth, taking the runners out towards Illogan then out to the coast road before returning inland to start the shorter second lap.

Okehampton had three runners taking part, all training for the London Marathon and they all had good runs, with Rob Kelly first home of the trio in a terrific time of 2.14.07, coming seventh overall and second M35. Training partners Paul Carter and Roger Voaden were the other two running here, Paul finishing in an excellent 2.19.09 to be second MV50 and Roger in 2.22.06 for third MV50.

The final round of the Westward League X-country unfortunately clashed with the Bideford race, meaning a much depleted ORC team took on the Redruth fixture.

Wet and windy conditions were experienced here too, with the men’s race in particular being held in gale force conditions as Storm Freya started to take a hold.

Mathew Richards was the only junior to run, coming home in 10th position. Paul Crease had a good run finishing 11th which was a good enough position to see him come second in his age category in the final placings. Christian Davies and Stuart Page also braved the weather to run here with Christian finishing with his highest placing of 37th and Stuart 52nd. In the final overall positions Okehampton had two runners placed, Paul Crease 2nd MV45 and Stephen Sincock who had already secured his second MV55 place with the luxury of not having to travel down to defend it. Jane Jackson’s cough prevented her from taking part and consequently dropped from second to fourth FV60 and Sarah Marvin also finished in the same position in the FV45 category.