AFTER a break of five years, 41 runners coming from all over the South West lined up in a sunny park in Okehampton to tackle 10.5 miles in the Oke Croak.
Included in the run was a daunting ascent of Yes Tor, southern England's highest point.
As the field of runners left the park, it was clear that the winner was going to come from a group of three runners. As the trio reached check point two at the summit of Oke Tor it was Dartmoor Runners James Jackson who was left to finish third as local runner and Okehampton Running Clubs' Andrew Vallance battled it out with Adam Stobbs of Exeter Harriers. The two were inseparable as they climbed to the large grey summit of Yes Tor, but Andrew using his local knowledge to make the winning move on the technical decent and win the race in 1 hour 18 minutes and 51 seconds. Adam finished two minutes later.
The ladies race was a little more clear cut with East Cornwall's Sharon Daw leading from start to finish with Bovey Tracey's Sarah Andrews second and Dartmoor Runners Robin Carter third.
There were 41 who finished the course.
Okehampton Running Club would like to thank all the marshals who made this event possible and a special thank you to Waitrose Okehampton for donating each finisher with a well deserved goody bag.
RESULTS: 1, A Vallance (Okehampton RC), 1.18.51; 2, A Stobbs (Exeter Harriers), 1.21.00; 3, J Jackson (Dartmoor Runners), 1.23.39; among top 10 8. C Lloyd over 40s (Tavistock AC), 1.28.10; 10; B Friend over 40s (Okehampton RC), 1.33.54.
Veterans over 50s: 1, J Sharp (Truro RC), 1.40.08; 2 S Statham (TVH3), 1.40.13; 3, M Rice
(Okehampton RC), 1.40.38. Veterans over 60s: 1, D Alsop (St Austell RC), 1.37.43; 2, R Windemer (Dartmoor Runners), 1.44.02. Ladies: 1, S Daw over 40s (East Cornwall Harriers (1.36.56); 2, S Andrews over 40s, 1.49.56; 3, R Carter, over 50s (Dartmoor Runners), 2.04.35.