The first woman to finish the newly-returned daunting Dartmoor Marathon has spoken of how much she loved taking part in the race.

Jo Page, of Okehampton Running Club, is a veteran long-distance runner and feels at home on the moor with fond family holiday memories of Tavistock.

She completed the Dartmoor Marathon in 3 hours 11 minutes and was tenth overall, finishing just 15 minutes behind overall winner Richard Gould. The tireless runner is now looking forward to racing the London Marathon on Sunday, April 26.

Jo said: “As soon as I heard about the Dartmoor Marathon, I entered, because I only live in Okehampton and Dartmoor is my happy place.

“The Dartmoor Marathon was special to me as a lot of the course went past places I've been visiting since I was little (including two ice cream van spots.

“All our family holidays as a kid were at Harford Bridge campsite, so the area has a special place in my heart.

“I can’t believe how lucky we were with the weather on the day and what a great route.

“The support from friends, club mates and strangers around the course was fantastic. I also had the added bonus of my dad popping up in sections on his bike to hand me drinks and also ride behind me on the busier roads as I was running on my own for most of the course.

“I was so excited for this race and right from the start I just smiled the whole way round.”

Jo, a senior human resources consultant and Army reserves sergeant with Six Rifles in Exeter, said: “This was marathon number 39 for me and my second quickest ever. I’m not sure how I was so quick over all those hills.

“I’m very please to finished first female and tenth overall. I’ve never experienced a race finishing-straight feeling like that. Tavistock should be so proud. See you next year.”

Jo took up running 8.5 years ago when she moved to Devon to start a new job and to avoid putting on weight in the sedentary role, but it became a hobby, especially as she had bought new suits for work and was determined to stay slim.

She joined Okehampton running club in 2017 and impressively, ran her first marathon only about a year later in Barnstaple: “I always recommend joining a local running club as they are super friendly and run couch-to-5km groups regularly.

“My aim is to always to enjoy it as I never want to finish without enjoying it. This takes the pressure of always chasing time, pace and looking at your watch all the race, making me more relaxed. Why race if you don’t enjoy it?”

Jo has run and raced worldwide, including Cyprus when based there for the UN. She has completed the prestigious Six World Marathon Majors (New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, London & Tokyo), a prestigious series. Tokyo in March (in a personal best (PB)) earned her a sought-after series six-star medal.

Age is no barrier. Turning 40 last year, she ran PBs in 5km, 10km, 10-mile, half marathon and marathon distances.