IT WAS girls' night out on Friday (June 26) for Tavistock Athletic Club who fielded four ladies' teams at the Erme Valley Relays on Friday evening.

This popular annual race, which this year attracted 84 teams of four, is organised by Erme Valley Harriers with the start and finish at Ivybridge Rugby Club. Each of four legs is a hilly 2.5km route around the local lanes.

Conditions were ideal for the evening race with the searing heat of recent days just starting to ease, and race records were broken for both male and female fastest leg times and the men's overall team time.

With the complete absence of TAC males at the event it was left to the ladies to shine and they did so in style. The first TAC team home comprised Jasmine Gray, Emma Ryder, Hannah Smith and Charlotte Walker. They finished in 11th place overall and took the title for the first ladies team in a total time of 59min 18s, with Emma Ryder taking the fastest TAC individual leg time of 14:21.

The club fielded two FV45 age category teams. The first of these finished fourth in their category and consisted of Les Wilkinson, Caroline Stephen, Sarah Holland and Carole Walters, with a total time of 81:48.

Due to the indisposition of two TAC runners on the night, both Les Wilkinson and Carole Walters (FV60 runners in their own right) bravely volunteered to run two legs - each running the first and fourth legs in two different teams. Their second team was the FV55 team, which also finished fourth in their age category, where they teamed up with Kate Rogers and Helen Kula-Przezwanski to complete in a combined time of 91:00.

The second TAC FV45 team, which was made up of Hazel Walker, Paula Smerdon, Cheryl Cogwell and Lisa Hall, finished in a combined time of 98:25.

A reminder that TAC's own relays event - the Tavistock Town Relays - organised as part of Tavistock's Carnival week, takes place in the Meadows on July 16.

All are welcome - clubs, companies and disparate groups of runners of all ages - and there is also a fun run for the youngsters. Sign-up is via the club's website where there is a dedicate webpage devoted to the event.