Okehampton Running Club had some far flung competitors out on the trails and mountains in the past week.

Last Tuesday Pearl Barnes travelled to Looe for the Looe Summer Run 10k (actually 5.75 miles, just under 10km). It’s a multi-terrain race which is part of Looe Carnival week. The race started and finished at the Millpool Centre in West Looe. The scenic course took runners along the West Looe riverside, through Kilminorth Woods, and then returned along the lower path of the woods.

Pearl said it was a ‘brutal’ 800ft ascent, but a ‘stunning route’ and she finished in a time of 1hour 3min

On Saturday evening she was out racing again in the Wessex 10km at Somerton in Somerset.

The race started from Somerton Recreation Ground and the route dropped onto some of the most gorgeous scenery the Somerset Levels has to offer, running on the old country droves before re-joining the road and heading back up to the start.

Pearl finished in 1hour 21sec (it was the hill at the end that did it!) 6th in her age category.

Going for the record of most races this week, on Sunday Pearl ran the Totnes 10km, which turned out to be a Devonian 10k of actually 11km.

The race is nearly all off road, following alongside the beautiful River Dart, starting and finishing on Borough Park. The hilly, hot route totalled 525ft ascent and Pearl was rewarded with friendly faces and beautiful scenery. She finished in a time of 1hour 13min.

On Friday Luke Stannus was in Italy to take part in the 2025 Youth Skyrunning World Championships in Gran Sasso, Aquila, in Italy’s Apennine mountains.

Luke joined participants from 30 countries to compete for 75 medals and world titles.

The first race was the ‘Vertical’, 1,000m climb over a 3.5 km long course, pushing the young runners to the limits. A runner sets off every 15 seconds not knowing what was happening with the other runners. Each athlete has to give it their all, pushing to the summit in this up-only race.

Luke finished in 47min 27sec - 18th in his age.

On Sunday he took part in the ‘Sky’ – a 23 km race with a 2,226m climb, including a technical section with fixed ropes, ensuring a true sky running event.

He finished first of the UK runners in 15th place overall, and 12th in his age category in time of 1hour 2min. A fantastic weekend’s running from Luke representing the UK.

On Saturday Peter Roissetter took part in the 25km loop of the South West Coast 50 Ultra Challenge. The route starts at Dunster and has over 500m ascent. He finished in a time of 2hours and 50min, 23 minutes faster than two years ago.

On Sunday Mark Peck headed to Dorset for the Stur Half, organised by the Dorset Doddlers Running Club. The route follows rural roads in and around Sturminster Newton, going through Manston, Margaret Marsh, Stour Row and Todber, returning through Moorside and Hinton to finish on the High School playing field.

Mark said it was quite a nice undulating route through the Dorset countryside, completing the course in a good time of 1hour 35min, He would have liked to have been a bit quicker but the hills and humidity got to him.