Five Honiton runners took up the challenge of Sidmouth Running Club’s Exe to Axe on Sunday. Tom Merson won the race in 2:32:59 and the first person back for Honiton was Heather Foundling Hawker who was third lady in 15th position overall and a time of 3:22:19 which is amazing as she ran 100k last week in Scotland. Bruce Strawbridge was 17th position, 3:22:54; Brian Charters 18th 3: 22:58; Fran Bond 23rd, 3:24:32; Ceri Oak, 28th, 3:29:08. There were 120 finishers.

?If runners didn’t fancy the Exe to Axe, there was always the Taunton Marathon or Half Marathon on offer. Mark Jenkin won the Half Marathon in a time of 1:10:18 and the first home for Honiton was Vernon Gillard in a time of 1:36:37 and 174th position which is a great improvement on last year. Several it as the last long training run before the London Marathon in two weeks’ time and the first of these Honiton runners home was Roger Saunders in 1:39:23 and 213th place. Maria Wadey 1:41:29, 307th; Nick Bradley-Carter 508th, 1:49:48; Claire Pomeroy 579th, 1:52:41; Olivia Higginson 2:01:26, 777th; Clare Melbourne’s first crack at the distance saw her 990th in 2:14:41.

?The Marathon is a two lap version of the half marathon and inevitably runners find it a lot lonelier with far fewer runners and less support. Nevertheless, three Honiton runners battled the demons and completed the full 26.2 miles. Steve Boyes was first back in 77th place and a time of 3:36:02. Simon Hall Simon finished in 4:22:02 in 186th. Wayne finished just under 4:30 in 198th place.