Trotters were in action in the sunshine for a change. Susanne Westgate, Mark, Sarah, interloper Dawlish Coaster SImon Bunday, and Sam Galvin ran Outeredge’s Race the Tide event on Saturday. "The weather was perfect (for me) said Sam, though some thought it a bit warm. There are 3 distances to choose, we went for the Watery Woodland Trail, a 9 mile circuit starting and finishing in Mothecombe. It is the perfect tail run partly through a private estate and encompasses woodland trails, superb views, a few manageable hills, a bit of mud and of course the addition of crossing the estuary before the tide came in.

The event was well organised, with well-marked trails, ample water stations and a good sense of comradery. Registration was smooth, and the organisers provided clear communication leading up to race day. Post-race had a celebratory atmosphere, music, refreshments and the all-important medal to ensure that we all felt rewarded for our efforts. Susanne and I agreed that we would allocate it 5 stars and would recommend adding it to your running calendar. 

There were 170 finishers, with Trotters finishing times as follows: Sam Galvin (1hr 32 min), Sarah Burningham (1hr 39), Susanne Westgate (1hr 55 min) and Mark Wotton (1 hrs 57 min).

Graydon Widdicombe took part in the inaugural Rame Head Marathon on Saturday 14 June, organised by Sportiva Events. The course was a 10.5K loop, so it was four laps for the marathon (there was also a 1-loop and 2-loop race, plus canicross options). There was also a triathlon the day after, with different distances available.

The event was a chance to run around the stunning Mount Edgcumbe Peninsula, and fortunately it was good weather conditions on the day, after torrential rain the day before. The route was a mix of coast path and other trails, with a lot of elevation gain, and even the technical downhills Graydon found tough to run down, and had to walk much of it. There was also a steep set of steps to climb up each lap, which made the legs properly burn. Graydon found the 3rd lap tough, knowing there was still another one to go, but once he started the 4th, it went by okay. The event has similar elevation to DD, but condensed into a marathon, on technical terrain.

The event had camping available within Mount Edcumbe so Graydon made use of that on the Friday night, and there was a nice atmosphere around the area. There were 51 on the start list for the marathon but just 30 finished, partly as a few dropped down to the half. Graydon finished in 21st with a time of 5:57:22, on what was a tough day out. Well done everyone, all eyes turn to the dash (4mile) at Dawlish this week, hopefully in respectable weather.