TAVISTOCK Athletic Club's Grand Prix season kicked off last Sunday at the 10 mile Plymouth Hoe 10 where a total of just under 700 runners completed the scenic course starting and finishing at Brickfields.
The Hoe 10 is a popular race in the road race calendar and it was well supported by athletes from Tavistock, particularly as it is the first of the 14 events which make up the Grand Prix series. Club members have to compete in at least 9 of the selected events and score points dependant on where they finish in the race within their age group. Extra points can be gained for improving on last year's times so 23 Tavistock runners were poised at the line eager to get their season off to the best possible start.
And 23 finished with some excellent performances including several personal bests and 6 new club records. Steve Groombridge (running in an Exmouth Harriers vest but still a Tavistock Club member), Fiona Dunn, Annette Roberts, Trevor Williams, Sally Pike and Rhian Johnson all notched up club bests for their respective age groups.
The full Tavistock results were:25th, Steve Groombridge, 1:00:44; 69th, Andrew Vernon, 1:05:58; 89th, Allan Herdman, 1:08:44; 105th, Mike Lewis, 1:10:15; 165th, Pete Bazley, 1:13:43; 179th, Chris Halliday, 1:14:18; 193rd, Rob Kirby, 1:15:17; 194th, Fiona Dunn, 1:15:17; 203rd, Chris Eastaugh, 1:15:43; 213th, Roger Hewitt, 1:16:32; 261st, Nicole Heryet, 1:18:47; 274th, Keith Bowles, 1:19:17; 306th, Mike Youlden,1:20:49; 319th, Annette Roberts, 1:21:51; 349th, Trevor Williams, 1:23:45; 369th, Andy Smith,1:25:05; 453rd, Sally Pike, 1:31:52; 470th , Anna Johnson, 1:34:12; 491st, Marion Playle,1:36:30; 526th, Helen Bond, 1:41:18; 528th, Judi Turner, 1:41:37; 532nd, Rhian Johnson, 1:42:18; 537th, Anthea Evans, 1:43:22.
The next Grand Prix event is the Bideford Half Marathon which takes place on 7 March.
Full race diary, club records and a whole lot more information about Tavistock Athletic Club can be found at http://www.tavistockathletics.com">www.tavistockathletics.com