THE 8th Annual Dartmoor ?Discovery? Ultra Marathon will take place on Saturday June 3 starting and finishing in Princetown. The route, all on the road, is one of the toughest in Britain with over 4000 feet of ascents and corresponding descents and is not an event for novices or fun runners. As the long established 54 Mile London To Brighton road running race has been cancelled, the Discovery is now the only long distance road race in England. This year?s race has already attracted the biggest and strongest field of long distance runners, male and female, ever to assemble for an Ultra Marathon race in Great Britain, most of them from all corners of the British Isles. With three weeks to go, the entry list stands at 170, including over 50 women. Last year a new Women?s course record was set by Heather Foundling-Hawker of Honiton Running Club, when she came 5th overall for the second consecutive year with a fantastic time of 4 hours 17 minutes for this tough course. After breaking the Discovery course record, Heather went on to become the new European 50 Km Champion in the heat of Sicily. She is defending her title again this year and hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins. The race starts at 9.30am from outside the Railway Inn and the Plume of Feathers in Princetown and the route takes runners through Two Bridges, Dartmeet, Ashburton, Buckland in the Moor, Widecombe in the Moor, Postbridge and back to Princetown via Two Bridges. Anyone wishing to witness at first hand this test of endurance distance running by assisting on the course is requested to contact the race director on 01752 401062 or write to: 4 Moorland View, Plymstock, Plymouth PL9 8NW, Mob 079 299 21410. All volunteers are cordially invited to attend the free after-race Disco/Dance, which takes place in the Plume of Feathers Inn, immediately after the Prize Presentations. This year, David Bedford, ex World Record Holder and now more famous as the London Marathon Race Director, will be in Princetown to present the richly deserved awards.
