THE wet weather prior to the Christmas Caper hosted by Torrington AAC provided ideal conditions for 228 mud-loving runners.

Their efforts were rewarded as all received a Christmas pudding with a pot of cream after running the route of over nine miles, much of it along mud and water filled tracks and fields.

Okehampton Running Club sent out four veterans who all enjoyed a good run. Mervyn Rice was the first for ORC in 1 hour 21 minutes 25 seconds followed by Marilyn Cooper in 1.27.27 and Mags Jarvis in 1.28.09. These two took home some lovely prizes for first and second female veteran 55. Sarah Haigh followed up her recent Drogo 10 and Bicton Blister races to post a time of 1.34.41.

Merv's daughter Jenny also took part and won the third senior female prize in a great time of 1.14.06.