South Devon Athletic Club record smashed in River Exe run

A long-standing South Devon Athletic Club record was broken as nine of the club’s athletes travelled to Exeter for the rescheduled First Chance 10k race.

The flat course alongside the ship canal and River Exe produced a clutch of fast times, but none of them outshone Yvonne Patrick Odell’s 57m 28s, which smashed the club’s previous Vet 65 women’s record by 10 minutes. It also gave her third place in her class in an ultra-competitive race.

Jamie Duffield returned from injury to lead the club’s nine runners home in 42m 20s, followed by Colin Peters, Kate Foley, club chairman James Spalding, Yvonne Patrick Odell, Heather Coverdale, Neil Jordain, Roger Webb and Alison Ford.

Colin Peters still leads the men’s section of the club’s rolling Grand Prix series by a single point from Shaun Kirk. Kate Foley leads the women’s section with maximum points from her six counting races.

Two other points-scoring club races also kept members busy during storm-lashed February.

Rob Foster led Shaun Kirk home in 12m 39s on a wet and windy 3k seafront time trial, followed by James Spalding, James Nash, Kate Foley, Steve Wright, Guy Henderson, Cherry Powell, Roger Webb, Paul Williams, Neil Jordain, Saz Pav and Heather Coverdale.

Rob Foster leads Marc Walpot and Shaun Kirk in the 3k series standings.

The club also used the hilly, muddy Parke Parkrun for a round of its Grand Prix series. First man across the line was Colin Peters, followed by Shaun Kirk, George Holman, James Spalding, Vince Langdon, Paul Williams, Guy Henderson, Roger Webb and Dave Naish. Kate Foley was first woman, followed by Alison Ford.