GALLERY: Youngster Beaton storms to victory in the tough Dartmoor Discovery Ultra Marathon

JOE BEATON became the youngest winner of the tough Dartmoor Discovery Ultra Marathon on Saturday.

The 20-year-old, who had been training for the event for six months, took victory in the 32-mile challenge in an impressive time of three hours, 44 minutes and 50 seconds.

He won by race, which is the UK’s longest single lap road ultra marathon and takes competitors up and down some of the toughest hills Dartmoor has to offer, by nine minutes.

Second place went to Tavistock AC’s Sam Larkham, who came home in 3:53.45, with Axe Valley Harriers’ previous winner Ryan Snell third and first M40 in 3:56.47 and Plymouth Musketeers’ Ross Macdonald was fourth in 3:57.51.

Afterwards Beaton said: “Winning this brutal historic race was a dream of mine. Over the moon with the finishing time and I will definitely be back in the future.”

Exeter Harriers’ Kirsteen Welch broke the women’s record with a stunning run which saw her come fifth overall in 3:59.46. That was nearly three minutes quicker than the previous record that had stood since 2008.

Second woman home and first F45 was Looe’s Joanne Robinson, who clocked 4:43.44, with Westbury’s Hannah Large third in 4:47.14.

The race, which is now organised by Teignbridge Trotters, saw 149 finishers.

The undulating course sees athletes leave Princetown and head through Dartmeet, Poundsgate, Newbridge, Ashburton, Buckland-in-the-Moor, Widecombe-in-the-Moor and Postbridge before heading back to the start.

If running 32 miles along some of the hilliest roads in Devon in hot conditions was not tough enough, runners have to meet strict cut-off times along the way and finish in under six-and-a-half hours.

Full results can be found HERE.

All pictures are low resolution and are protected by copyright so should not be used without permission.

VIEW OTHER GALLERIES HERE