ON New Year's Day nine hardy souls from Tavistock Athletic Club donned their off-road shoes and gathered at Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor for the Brown Willy Run.

The seven-mile out and back route is not technically a race, but rather a charity fun run taking runners up Brown Willy, Cornwall's highest point.

Claire and Adrian Pitcher, Caron and Graham De Val, Rhian Johnson, Kate Rogers, John Windemer, David Twine and Pete Bazley all took part.

The route begins at Jamaica Inn and after a short section on road, a rough track with puddles leads onto the moor and into 'ankle-turning and shoe-swallowing knee-deep, peaty mud' as one runner described it, but with stunning views over Bodmin Moor on the way to the top.

Claire Pitcher had to be pulled from a particularly boggy section, while Rhian was carried across by a kindly marshal. But the general consensus of opinion was that the friendly atmosphere and the beer at the finish contributed to a great event.

Hereford's New Year's Day 10k race was a much quieter affair, set on country lanes around the city.

Andy and Sheila Houghton competed — Andy winning his age category in 48 minutes 58 seconds, and Sheila finishing second in hers, in 55.25.