THERE was another bumper turnout for the annual Tavy 7 road race on Sunday morning.
The popular event is always a sell-out and this year saw a record 596 finishers for the race that starts and finishes at Plaster Down on Dartmoor.
The Tavy 7 this year also incorporated the Ross Shield – Devon’s oldest road race competition for clubs – and that helped strengthen the top end of the field.
Great Britain elite duathlete Phil Wylie, who runs in the colours of Cheltenham & County Harriers, was a class apart on the day. He clocked an impressive time of 36 minutes and 23 seconds, which was two minutes quicker than anyone else had run for the course in recent years.
He finished more than three minutes ahead of Tavistock AC’s Adam Holland, who took second place in 39.29 minutes.
Third was South Molton’s Michael Lesniak (39.38), with Newquay Road Runners’ Jonny Calaco fourth (40.37) and Tavistock Run Project’s Marc Smerdon fifth (40.37). Torbay’s Pete Monaghan was first over-50 in seventh place (40.52), while Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart was first junior.
Tiverton’s Serane Stone held off the challenge of Tamar Trotters’ Bex Ezra to win the women’s title. Stone clocked 43.33, with Ezra coming home in 43.58 minutes.
Plymouth Harriers’ Katy Hedgethorne was third women in 44.23, with Tavistock AC’s Jodi Fisk fourth (45.40), Plymouth Harriers’ Ami Yetton fifth (45.54), Tavistock Run Project’s Rachael Malthouse sixth (46.03) and Tavistock AC’s Sam Lake seventh. Tavistock AC’s Tilly McDowell was first junior women.
There was a good run by Tamar Trotters’ Jane Bremner, who was first over-60 women in 50.33 minutes.
The next big race in the area is the Lopwell Loop, which takes place on Sunday, November 17. That is organised by Storm Plymouth and is a 12k road race that starts and finishes at Mary Dean’s Primary School in Tamerton Foliot and takes runners up Broadley, near Roborough, and then down to Lopwell Dam and along the river and back to Tamerton. Entries can be made HERE.
Result from the Tavy 7 can be found HERE.