Runner-up finishes and Great Birmingham Run for AVRs

Starting with the East Devon Round, which goes from Blackberry Camp and finishes at Offwell Village Hall and covers 100k of East Devon and Dorset.

The route includes three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a tough 10,000 feet of elevation.

It took place on Saturday, with AVR’s Rob Collier taking second place in the race, finishing in 13 hours and nine minutes - only half an hour behind the winner, Justin Montague, but more than an hour ahead of third place.

Rob had stayed with Justin until the penultimate aid station but Justin then pushed on over the last 17k for the crown.

AVR’s Stephen Grigg also took part, coming in 10th place, completing it in just over 16 hours, having got slightly lost so did an extra two miles.

An AVR team, led by Karen Eyre, staffed a vital aid station in Musbury.

Just 20 of the 30 starters completed the full round; there were half and quarter rounds also available.

More AVRs were in action in this year's Great Birmingham Run.

Carol Austin and Julia Conway travelled to the West Midlands to take part in the Great Birmingham 10k, part of the Great Run series.

The undulating route started in Centenary Square, went into the Jewellery Quarter then out towards Edgbaston before circling back to finish in Smithfields, Digbeth.

The event was chosen as an England Masters vs Wales Masters event, and Carol had qualified to compete for the England F60 team following her 10k in Brighton last year.

Despite struggling with a knee injury, she managed to get round, earn her England vest and enjoy the sights of the city she called home for 33 years, finishing in 52:17, 768th and 14thF60.

Julia Conway finished in 57:02, 1237th, 26th F50.

The race was very well organised with 14,000 taking part in this and the half marathon.

Next, there was a good turnout of AVRs at the Crediton Crunch on Sunday.

It is a multi-terrain run across parkland, footpaths and country lanes, with the first half of the race ran on the Devonshire Heartland Way.

The race, part of the InStep Devon series, is organised by South West Road Runners.

AVR’s Tim Lenton was fourth in 42:24 and first M50.

Eleanor Wood was first F60 finishing in 53:52 with Dawn Carrah, third F60 in 59:20.

Along with Fiona Seward, AVR scooped the F60 team prize as well.

Ron Seward was first M70 in 56:05.

A total of 180 completed the race.

For the Seaton Park Run on Saturday, conditions were good and AVR provided a big team of pacers with 331 finishers.

The first three finishers were AVR along with first female with Joel Seward in 17:00; Ritchie Durrant in 17:36; Andrew Snook in 18:03 and Debbie Whiston in 20:03, also first on age grade.

There were a host of AVR PBs including Jase Potter 20:09; Adrian Strawbridge 20:3: Dan Cohen 21:58; Ann-Louise Childe 29:13; Alison Hayward 29:22; Lucy Hanley 29:23; Helen Boehm 35:40; Shirley Goy 39:12; and Fran Cohen 49:44.

Out on the road, Carol Austin and Lesley Adams were at Cannon Hill parkrun in Birmingham where Carol completed her 80th run at that event.

Pam Goddard visited the Eden Project parkrun, Angela Kerr took part in Fulham Palace parkrun, and Simon Dimmock ran Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun.