06 Oct Grand Prix battle hots up and Templer temperatures soar
South Devon Athletic Club’s runners went their separate ways at the weekend with two mouth-watering races on the calendar.
The Weston-super-Mare Half Marathon provided the latest round of the club’s Grand Prix series, and Rob Foster led the way in a time of 1h 34m 35s, followed by Kate Foley and Vince Langdon.
Closer to home, there were four club members tackling the unseasonal sizzling temperatures at the Templer Ten around Stover and Teigngrace. Chairman James Spalding was the first SDAC runner home in 1h 48m 28s, just a second ahead of Saz Pav. Roger Webb and Alison Ford were the other South Devon representatives.
The end of summer and beginning of autumn have seen club members tackling a wide variety of distances and terrains.
Long-distance ace Matt Dalton took himself off to the Alps for the latest in his astonishing series of ultra-tough ultra-marathon races.
The Ultra Monte Rosa includes trails around the Matterhorn and features high mountain passes, suspension bridges and glaciers while circling 29 peaks that reach over 4,000m in height.
Matt completed the 170km course (just over 105 miles in old money) in 54 hours 23 minutes and 46 seconds.
There was slightly less elevation for Rob Foster on the VX3 Twilight 10k around the Torbay Velopark, and he stopped the clocks in 42m 05s. The Dartmouth Regatta Race, which does have a hill or two, saw Colin Peters across the line in 40m 55s and Roger Webb clocking 58m 26s.
SDAC second claim runner Anne Steele Arnett overcame a painful hip, an altercation with a taxi and a heatwave to complete the Berlin Marathon in 5h 50m 31s, claiming the club’s Female Vet 70 marathon record in the process.
Rob Foster was on form again at the Haytor Heller on Dartmoor, clinching the club’s Off-Road Championship by leading the contingent of yellow vests home. He was chased in by Colin Peters, Vince Langdon, James Spalding, Kate Foley, Roger Webb and Saz Pav. Roger Webb’s run earned him the accolade as second male Vet 70 across the finishing line.
There was silverware for the club at the Torbay 10k, which formed another round of the Grand Prix series. Jamie Duffield secured maximum points with a 45m 43s finish, followed by Vince Langdon, Marc Walpot, Kerry Bell, Yvonne Patrick Odell, Colin Peters, Rachel Irish, Roger Webb and Alison Ford.
Kerry Bell was second Female Vet 60, Yvonne Patrick Odell second Female Vet 65 and Roger Webb second Male Vet 70. Colin Peters ran as a guide for a visually impaired runner.
Cherry Powell tackled the full half-marathon distance and finished in 2h 11m 25s, followed by James Nash.
On the same day Kate Foley completed the Run Cheltenham Half Marathon in 1h 47m 07s.
Vince Langdon currently leads the SDAC Men’s Grand Prix table with 291 points from his six races so far. Jamie Duffield is second with 250 – maximum points from the five races he has contested. Rob Foster lies third with 247 from five events.
Kate Foley is the leading lady with a maximum haul of 200 points from her four races. Alison Ford has 187 from four and Heather Coverdale 145 from three.