Torbay Triathlon Club emerges clean-heeled from muddy Devon test

The third round of the Westward League Cross Country was staged at Exeter Arena, doubling as the Devon Championships and providing athletes with a stern test under challenging conditions. Competitors faced a demanding, very muddy course through fields and woodland, with a free lap layout measuring just under regulation distance.

Despite the testing terrain, it proved to be a hugely successful day for V35 athlete Naomi Flanagan. Covering the three-lap, 6km course in a swift 26 minutes 17 seconds, Flanagan not only secured an impressive finish but also claimed the V35 Devon Championship title, rounding off an excellent year in style.

In the men’s race, contested over four laps and 8km, V55 Jon Parkinson produced an equally eye-catching performance. Making light work of the heavy course in his new spikes, Parkinson crossed the line in an outstanding time of 32 minutes 18 seconds.

Meanwhile, endurance and determination were also on display in the world of canicross. A 5am start saw senior man Matt Giles and his four-legged companion, Neville, head to Cornwall for the Siblyback Santa Scamper on Saturday 6th. The 9.6km race, set around the scenic Siblyback Lake near Liskeard, marked the fourth event in the eight-race winter series and the final race of 2025.

Continuing their remarkable run of form, Giles and Neville stormed to first place in an impressive 35 minutes 17 seconds—finishing five minutes clear of the second canicross pairing and almost six minutes faster than the winner of the human-only race held later in the day. The result sees the pair maintain their lead in the series at the halfway stage.