A weekend of 10Ks for Trotters braving the heat

Otter Rail & Trail 10K - Tipton St John, Saturday 11th July

Four adventurous Trotters took on the Otter Rail & Trail 10K at Tipton St John on Saturday, facing a challenging course in soaring temperatures.

This was never going to be a personal best course. The route had taken quite a battering from erosion over the past 12 months and, despite the current heatwave, the trails were still deeply rutted in places from the winter weather. The prolonged dry spell had also left sections particularly sandy, making for difficult footing throughout. Combined with the hot conditions, it proved a stern test for all runners.

Credit must go to the organisers, who did an excellent job supporting runners in the heat. Extra water stations, cooling sponges and even hosepipes spraying competitors provided much-needed relief and were hugely appreciated out on the course.

Sam Galvin was first Trotter home in an impressive 1:07:20, followed by Kevin Besford in 1:10:07. Sarah Blanchard and Mark “Wurzel” Wotton completed the Trotters quartet, finishing in 1:20:08 and 1:20:11 respectively.

Kevin also took along two of his grandsons for the one-mile fun run. Unfortunately, the junior event descended into a bit of a shambles when part of the field took a shorter incorrect route. The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for five-year-old Phoenix, who crossed the finish line at the back after completing the full, longer course with great determination.

Well done to all four Trotters on conquering a tough summer trail run, and congratulations to Phoenix and his brother on completing the fun run — hopefully future Trotters in the making!

See full results here: Otter Rail and River 10km | Race results | Webscorer

Start Fitness 10K - Exeter, Saturday 11th July

Despite another sweltering evening with temperatures hovering around 30–32°C, Chloe and Steve Weeks took on the Start Fitness Exeter 10K on Saturday night.

Organised by City Runs, the event featured its brand-new flat road course, designed to be faster than ever following the removal of the previous unmade section. The revamped route offers runners of all abilities the ideal opportunity to target personal bests, with dedicated pacer groups helping competitors chase times from sub-40 through to sub-60 and beyond.

The event now takes place over two evenings, with Friday's race aimed at faster and more competitive runners, while Saturday offers a more relaxed and supportive atmosphere for those targeting a PB of their own.

Representing the Trotters, Steve Weeks produced an outstanding run to finish 7th overall in a time of 42:03, while Chloe Weeks was 2nd lady home in an excellent 44:29.

While the fast, flat course promised PB potential, the biggest challenge once again proved to be the weather. With temperatures still above 30°C well into the evening, managing the heat became as important as pacing the race itself.

Chloe said afterwards: "The heat was definitely the biggest battle once again — something I've still not managed to cope with!" 😂

With such strong performances in extremely demanding conditions, both Steve and Chloe can be delighted with their results. Well done to them both on flying the Trotters flag in Exeter.

Results will soon be available here: City Runs : Start Fitness Exeter 10K 2026

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.