Trotters Tackle Dartmoor and Lake Garda

The Dartmoor Marathon

The Dartmoor Marathon (not to be confused with the Teignbridge Trotters’ Dartmoor Discovery, the much loved and premier Dartmoor endurance race), made a successful return after more than 40 years absent from the calendar. True to its setting, the event delivered “four seasons in one day,” with competitors facing rain, sunshine, strong winds and hail over the course of a tough and scenic route.

A lively Tavistock crowd gathered outside the Town Hall to see 532 runners set off in cool, rainy conditions. The course climbed steadily out of town and onto the open moor, eventually reaching and passing through Princetown. Exposed sections were made particularly challenging by a strong headwind before runners descended towards Burrator Reservoir, where some shelter was finally found. From there, the route undulated back to Tavistock via Walkhampton, a fittingly named village late in an already demanding day.

Four Trotters took on the challenge, each using the race as a key Dartmoor Discovery training run. Samantha Galvin found the conditions and course testing but was consistently lifted by the scenery, excellent marshalling and encouragement from spectators who turned out to support runners, even popping out of their houses along the route. The steep climb out of Horrabridge proved decisive, draining what was left in the legs, but on such a relentlessly lumpy course she was delighted to finish strongly in 5:18:45.0, describing it as ideal preparation for the upcoming Dartmoor Discovery.

Sarah Blanchard also approached the race primarily as a Dartmoor Discovery training run and found it delivered exactly what she needed. While crossing the line was emotional after finishing around eight minutes slower than her goal time, the reality of just how tough the route was provided reassurance. With two months still to prepare, the race highlighted where further stamina gains can be made. She was especially appreciative of the organisation, marshals, water stations and volunteers, whose support played a big role in keeping runners moving throughout the day.

At the front of the race, Richard Gould (V50) was first male home in an impressive 2:56:11.5, while Joanne Page (V40) claimed first female honours in 3:11:12.2, both performances standing out in a highly competitive field.

All Trotters completed the demanding course successfully, with Derrick Skinner leading the group home in 4:52:41.4, Joanna Randall finishing in 5:00:18.3, Samantha Galvin in 5:18:45.0 and Sarah Blanchard crossing the line in 5:39:08.5.

Full results are available here: Dartmoor Marathon 2026 | Race results | Webscorer

Lake Garda Marathon

Three Trotters travelled to Italy to take part in the fifth Lake Garda Marathon on Sunday 12th April. The lake is 370km² with an average depth of 446 feet making it Italy’s biggest lake. The race is held in the northern part of the lake, starting in Limone and finishing in Malcesine. Runners were treated to some spectacular scenery with snow top mountains lining the route.

The entire route was closed to traffic, one of the few times the Italian authorities allow this to happen. The course was mostly flat with a few undulations. Race conditions were near perfect with an overcast sky and a cool, gentle breeze; a complete contrast to the previous cloudless, hot and sunny day!

Nigel Barnett lead the trio home, finishing in 4:36:34. Ruth Johnson, who continues to creep ever close to the magical total of 100 marathons, was next to cross the finish line in 5:15:49. Her brother, Mark ‘Wurzel’ Wotton, who made a rare appearance at the marathon distance since completing his 100th marathon back in 2016, did well to finish in 6:20:54, having been unwell leading up to the race. There were 2,238 finishers. The winning time was 2:36:20.

Nigel Barnett was pleased with his race, he said: I really enjoyed the race; the scenery was pretty special. I think staying off the beers the day before certainly helped, especially when it came to the last couple of long drags.

A huge thank‑you to everyone who contributed to this week’s race report.

To help keep things running smoothly, please send the contributions by 7pm each Sunday to Jo Randall at press@teignbridgetrotters.co.uk.

And finally...

Exe to Axe

Ben Tampkins, Corinne Bright , Neil Tampkins and Tim Synge ran the East Devon Coast path route from Exmouth to Axmouth. A challenging 22 miles with around 4000 feet of elevation. Ben was first Trotter to finish in 4 hours and 7 minutes. Corinne finished in 5 hours 30 minutes. Neil Tampkins in 5 hours and 33 minutes. Tim Synge in 5 hours 36 minutes. Official timing has yet to be published.