THE success of the Summer Solstice Fell race held in June enabled organisers to make a contribution to the Dartmoor National Park.

On August 23 Andy Houghton and Stuart Queen from race organisers Tavy Runners and Tamar Trail Runners met up with Andrew Watson from the Dartmoor National Park to formally hand over the donation. The presentation, appropriately, took place at the Dartmoor Inn Merrivale from where the race headquarters was set up.

In return a certificate was presented which is now on display at the Tamar Trails cafe. The principal prizes were presented by the Dartmoor Inn.

The race also had invaluable support from Nick and Doreen Fell who allowed the use of one of their fields for parking and it was both supported by the Peter Tavy and Whitchurch Commoners. The race is planned to be held again on next year on June 20.

Andy Houghton, this year’s run race director, said: ‘West Devon has an abundance of woodland trails, close  cropped common land and high moor which is increasingly being used  for the sheer pleasure of running in   open spaces or for pleasurable endurance training and racing. If  such community events are managed properly there is much to be gained for the community as a whole - whether it be in raising the level of everyone’s fitness or by keeping money in the area and keeping the cost down. 

‘West Devon really does  have the equal of anywhere else in the South of England and there is no better anywhere in the UK. We also have great on and off-road cycling which combined with swimming means we are also well set for triathlon endurance training as  results by local athletes is showing.’

Andy hopes that next year we see a higher proportion of the runners coming from the moorland communities as happens regularly in the Lake district.

He continued: ‘There has to be a Joss Naylor living somewhere locally but of course the area has already produced some seriously good endurance athletes - Jo Meek, Adam Holland, Heather Fell and Jim Cole for example and there are others coming through. For instance Alice Rogers (22) has just recently received a nice trophy for coming third female overall in the Transamerica Chicago triathlon (about a 1,000 female runners) and another for being first in her age group.

‘Finally the help given here by the National Park is a clear indication of what can be done when all parties work together to give a good result for all involved.’

Andrew Watson, head of recreation and access at Dartmoor National Park added: ‘We were delighted to receive the voluntary donation  through our Donate for Dartmoor scheme following their Summer Solstice Fell Race in June. Donations from the public and recreational events are helping the authority to maintain paths and trails across the national park.’