07 May So good he ran it twice!
South Devon Athletic Club has a genuine record-breaker among its members.
Long-distance specialist Matt Dalton, who is clocking up a series of runs of 100 miles or more to raise funds for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, has been confirmed as the holder of the ‘fastest known time’ for an extraordinary route.
Matt completed the official Devon Coast to Coast Ultra from Wembury in the South Hams to Lynmouth in North Devon, then after crossing the finishing line he turned around and retraced his steps to complete the gruelling course again in the reverse direction.
The route crossed Dartmoor and Exmoor, and even took a small detour across the border into Somerset.
Matt’s double crossing added up to an astonishing 227 miles, completed in 76 hours and 47 minutes.
Matt said afterwards: “That was tough. I had so many demons in my head for the first two days, and I actually quit on the Friday night for a few hours. Luckily after a few hours sleep I continued to get the job done.”
He has since received confirmation from the Fastest Known Time organisation that his feat sets a new fastest time for the double crossing of Devon – coast to coast to coast.
Meanwhile, other members of the Paignton-based SDAC have been stretching their legs with long-distance runs of their own.
Neil Jordain, Rob Foster and James Nash all completed the London Marathon in good times, while clubmates Anne Steele Arnett and Rachel Collins completed ‘virtual’ London Marathons over tough routes of their own.
Shaun Kirk travelled to Exeter for the city’s Live Better Marathon, which covered loops of river and canal-side paths.
