Trotters celebrate 40th running of the Haytor Heller

The Haytor Heller - Saturday 5th September

The 40^th Haytor Heller took place on Saturday 5th September at 5pm. It was a beautiful evening and 270 runners left the start line, on the route up towards Haytor Rocks, to the sound of cheers from supporters. The race follows a challenging hilly single lap route out towards Hound Tor and returns to Haytor with a speedy downhill to the finish line.

Thank you to the runners for supporting our race and for pulling some excellent run times out of the bag. Sam Kelly won the race in 42:16 and First lady to cross the line was Liz Dyson in 49.34. To further celebrate the 40^th anniversary of this race, prizes were given to two of the best cakes provided by Trotters and also to runners who crossed the line in 40^th position and multiples of (i.e. 80, 120, 160 etc.).

The views across Dartmoor were fantastic, reminding us how lucky we are to be able to hold this race in this very special location. Funds from this race go to support Dartmoor National Park and the Dartmoor Pony Club. Also, because this was a special year the Teignbridge Trotters will be matching any donations made at entry to “Moor Trees “. This organisation is local charity that work to sow, grow and plant native broadleaf trees on Dartmoor.

Once again, the support of the club members to get this race underway is immense, so a huge thanks goes out to the Trotters. From behind the scenes entries secretary, to on the day action from race referee and timings team, to fantastic organisation of the route marshals and all who turned up on the day to support the runners. And of course the fabulous refreshments teams, HQ team, and the medics. Thank you for making the day a great success.

Teignbridge Trotters were represented by 18 runners among a field of 268 finishers. Leading the club home was Benj Akyol, who produced an outstanding run to finish 7th overall in 46:00. He was followed by Tim Pratt, 22nd overall in 50:33, with Matt Pastermakiewicz next home in 31st place in 52:50. Harley Law finished strongly to take 38th place in 53:54, while Andrew Rattlidge crossed the line in 53rd place in 57:50. Susanna Pratt was the club's first female finisher, placing 72nd overall in 1:00:44. She was followed by Guy Jary in 78th place (1:01:16), Jason Trevenen in 80th (1:01:36) and Laura Holland in 92nd (1:03:08). Further down the field, Wendy Goldthorp finished 128th in 1:07:32 and Corinne Bright was 132nd in 1:08:30. Adam Doherty placed 187th in 1:15:11, closely followed by Charlotte Knight in 188th in 1:15:16. Completing the Teignbridge Trotters contingent were Callum Bevis (201st, 1:18:32), Char Lee (213th, 1:21:09), Eric Moore (226th, 1:23:33), Jamie Moore (228th, 1:23:57), Amy Davey (240th, 1:25:59), Lucy Peacock (241st, 1:26:00) and Karen Peters (242nd, 1:26:00).

Kim and Duncan (RD and assistant RD ) 

City to Sea Marathon & Ultra - Sunday 6th September

A fantastic effort from the Teignbridge Trotters at this year's City to Sea Marathon, 50K Ultra and Half Marathon, with runners taking on one of the South West's most demanding courses in exceptionally hot conditions.

Four Trotters lined up for the longer events, with Lucy Evans tackling the challenging 50K Ultra, while Graydon Widdicombe, Cheryl Dunn and Andrew Morton took on the Marathon. We also had several Trotters competing in the Half Marathon, making it a great club turnout across all three distances.

The course provided a stern test from start to finish. The opening 20 miles of the Marathon followed mainly flat roads and hard-packed trails, allowing runners to settle into a rhythm. However, the final section along the South Devon coastal path proved to be the real challenge, featuring seemingly endless steps and some brutally steep climbs and descents. Combined with the hot weather, it made for a gruelling day out on the trails.

The 50K Ultra runners faced an even bigger challenge, continuing beyond the Marathon turnaround towards Meadfoot Green before joining the coastal path for the journey back to Babbacombe Downs. In cooler conditions the route would still have been difficult, but the heat added another level of endurance and determination that every finisher had to overcome.

A special congratulations goes to Cheryl Dunn, who battled through the tough conditions to record a fantastic marathon personal best. Achieving a PB on such a demanding course is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to all the hard work she has put in throughout her training.

In the 50K Ultra, Lucy Evans put in a determined performance to finish 22nd overall in 6:55:31, while the race was won by Ted Vian in 4:50:03, with Betsy Board taking the women's title in 5:27:26. In the Marathon, Graydon Widdicombe led the Trotters home in 40th place overall in 5:27:44, followed by Cheryl Dunn, whose superb 5:47:03 PB earned her 49th place, and Andrew Morton, who finished 87th in 6:37:37. The Marathon was won by Frederick Skarbek in 3:36:55, while Sarah Rachel Easton was first female in 3:58:08. In the Half Marathon, the Trotters were represented by Michael Border (12th, 2:44:11), Amy Davey (35th, 3:22:16), Karen Peters (36th, 3:22:24), Stephanie Ross (43rd, 3:29:57), Michelle Doherty (52nd, 3:40:40), Darren Petch (53rd, 3:40:54) and Katie Williams (55th, 3:41:16). The Half Marathon was won by Alexander Sykes in 2:05:52, with Elizabeth Dyson first female in 2:13:00.

Congratulations to all the Trotters competing in this challenging event!

Steve & Chloe's Double Race week

It was a memorable week of racing for Chloe Weeks and her dad, Steve Weeks, as they produced outstanding performances across two very different events, achieving personal milestones and impressive placings along the way.

Run Exe 5K Series Finale - Tuesday 1st September

The first challenge of the week was the final race in the popular Run Exe 5K Series, a fast, traffic-free event held around Exwick Playing Fields and the River Exe Flood Relief channels. Known for its flat course along footpaths and cycle tracks, the series attracts runners of all abilities, from those chasing personal bests to newcomers looking for an enjoyable race experience.

Heading into the race, both Steve and Chloe settled comfortably alongside the 19:30 pacer, with neither expecting what was to come. However, the fast conditions and strong pacing paid off spectacularly. Steve crossed the finish line in an excellent 19:11, recording his fastest 5K time of the year, while Chloe followed just seconds later in 19:17, setting a brand new personal best. The performance was made even sweeter for Steve, who demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the entire series, posting times below 19:33 in every race.

Treggy 7 - Sunday 6th September

Just days later, the father-daughter duo headed west to tackle the Treggy 7 in Launceston, Cornwall. Having both enjoyed a successful season over 5K and 10K distances, they decided to run together over the challenging seven-mile course.

The Treggy 7 offers a completely different test to a flat 5K. The race begins with a downhill opening mile out of Launceston before heading onto undulating rural roads. After a steady climb into Tregadillett at around 3.5 miles, runners are rewarded with a predominantly downhill final three miles before finishing in the spectacular surroundings of Launceston Castle.

Running stride for stride throughout much of the race, Steve and Chloe delivered their fastest-ever times on the course, both breaking the coveted 50-minute barrier. In a dramatic finish, Steve edged ahead by a single second, recording 49:52, while Chloe clocked 49:53.

Their performances were rewarded with impressive category placings in a highly competitive field. Steve finished 4th MV50, while Chloe was the 4th female overall and 1st Under-35 female. Given the depth and quality of distance running in Cornwall, both regarded the results as a brilliant outcome.

Coming up...

Next club championship race: Sunday 13th September Storm the Fort 10K Storm the Fort - 10K Multiterrain Race

Next Trotters race & volunteering opportunity: Sunday 4th October 11:00 (10:15 fun run) Sibelco Templer 10 mile plus 1 mile fun run Sibelco Templer Ten

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 at press@teignbridgetrotters.co.uk.