The Grizzly is fast approaching – Sunday, March 13, but beforehand there will be much more to do. On Friday, March 11, there will be a quiz, then on Saturday March 12, a Griz Fest at Cliff Field Gardens, including a 2k Family Fun Run and a 4k Junior Grizzly Race sponsored by Seaton’s Toy Box and Sweet Heaven, with many shops donating spot prizes for the runners.

It’s a festival with a village fete theme all under canvas, bouncy castles, face painters, with all Seaton Community Groups invited to have a stall. Maybe there are some shops or cafes that would consider getting involved in any of the following competitions: Best decorated shop window with a Grizzly theme - Prizes are sponsored by Axe Valley Runners; Hide a Grizzly Teddy in your shop window for a Grizzly Treasure Hunt; Best Grizzly dish for cafes/restaurants/bakers/butchers; Prize sponsored by Axe Valley Runners.

If you would like to donate a spot prize for the Junior Races or get involved with any of the competitions please let Kay d’Albertanson know on (01297) 625437 or Mob 07901 906 988. Here’s to a fantastic and busy weekend, with great business for all of our local shops!

More Axe Valley Runners news on page 59.

It’s Saturday night and your chin(s) get lower than ever to the floor on hearing Sunday’s weather forecast – rain all day. Not what you want for the first ever “Any Which Way You Can” 9 or 15 mile run. This was a new AVR event designed as a bit of fun Grizzly training. Entrants had to find their own way to six checkpoints answering numeric questions at each, remembering the answers and adding up the numbers at the end. Teams were encouraged and you could go any way around. Checkpoints were at Jobbleshayes Woods, Blackbury Camp, Berry Barton farm, Under hooken path and 2 in Seaton. Slower runners started earlier in an attempt to get everyone finishing nearly together, ready to devour the pasties, cakes and Tea at the end. Fortunately the weather was kind and a superb mornings run was had by all. John Day and Alex Todd were the 15 mile winners, with Wayne Tooze and Matthew Tyne the shorter route winners. The true winners were Seaton scout group, as despite a very low entry fee of �3 ended up making nearly �200 (including donations). For some of the runners it was the first time running these distances, made even tougher by the boggy conditions in the many woods, but they all completed the course and really do deserve hearty congratulations. A full list of results is on the AVR web site. Special mention to Complete Meats and Ganesha Wholefoods of Axminster for sponsoring those delicious oggies, the kitchen team lead by Gill Day for being so ebullient and efficient, the Woodward clan for providing tea and coffee and anyone else who helped make a grey Sunday really special. Bring on the Grizzly!

The first handicap race in the 2011 series was won by Beth Sibley in 35:30, a new PB by nearly a minute. The first two finishers unfortunately hadn’t done enough qualifying runs, but produced scarily fast times. Robbie Holt ran in 21:42 and Sam Anning 22:39.Rhea Shave was 2nd of the qualified runners in 32:28. Tim Sibley was 3rd, 26:12; Kelly Dack 4th 30:26 and Eleanor Wood 5th, 25:30.

Max Bowskill won the shorter Junior handicap in 17:57; Liam McLean was 2nd, 17:08; James Knapp 3rd, 16:15; Emily Elliott 4th, 14:47 and Josh Coates 5th 14:43.