TAVISTOCK Run Project’s Ben Neale held off a strong challenge from Plymouth Musketeers newcomer Ross MacDonald to win the 2021 Burrator Horseshoe Run.
Neale had pulled away early on in the fell race, which takes athletes from Meavy village out to Burrator Reservoir and up to the summit of Sheepstor and then Gutter Tor before returning to the start. But former Aberdeen athlete MacDonald came back and in the end just three seconds separated them.
Neale finished in 40.27 minutes, with MacDonald in 40.30. Exeter youngster Tom Perry was not far behind in 40.37 to take third overall and first under-17.
Another junior, Okehampton’s Samuel Priday, was fourth in 40.55. Andrew Biffen was fifth (41.08) and Tavistock’s James Best was sixth (41.18).
Devon & Somerset Fire Service’s former Commonwealth Games marathon runner Stuart Hall was seventh and first over-50 in 42.05. Hall was pushed all the way by over-50 rival Graham Bale, of Plymstock, who finished in 42.36.
Jo Meek broke her own 10-year-old course record 
to finish as first woman in 43.51 minutes.
Second-place went to Plymstock’s Carla Haines in 45.25 minutes, with Maddie Horton third in 47.36.
Tavistock’s Tilly McDowell was fourth female and first junior in 49.30 minutes.
Full results can be found HERE (picture gallery at the bottom of the page).
Meanwhile, a number of the region’s athletes competed in the Exeter BMC Meeting on Tuesday.
Tavistock’s Emma Ryder won the women’s 800m in a new personal best time of 2:13.20.
There was also a PB for City of Plymouth under-15 athlete Holly Reid in the women’s 1,500m. She clocked 4:52.80.
In the men’s 800m, Erme Valley Harriers’ Nathan Brown came third in the A race with a season’s best run of 1:56.49.
In the 800m B race, City of Plymouth’s Dan Newman ran a PB of 2:00.19.
In the men’s 1,500m, Plymouth’s Matthew Bradley ran 4:07.86, with Tavistock Run Project’s clocking a PB of 4:16.38.
Swipe to see full gallery. All pictures are low resolution and are protected by copyright.