FEATURING for Okehampton Running Club this week at the Way of the Dead 50k Ultramarathon were Paul Trace and Pete Roissetter.

A demanding event running from Trenchford Reservoir to Tavistock across East–West Dartmoor, the pair took this on, on Saturday, March 28.

The event takes its name from the historic Lych Way, once used to carry bodies to Lydford Church and now forming part of the race route. It was Paul’s longest run to date, and he described the weather as “cracking.” He finished an impressive 16th overall in five hours 23 minutes, placing third in his age category.

Pete- who seems to be signing up for a long-distance race nearly every weekend- completed the route in six hours 35 minutes. He praised the course for offering “a mixture of everything in a trail run,” though he noted that the wind on the moor was particularly cold.

Elsewhere, Keeley Philips persuaded Jo Page (pictured) to join her for a last-minute entry into the Purple Gecko Twilight Run at Siblyback.

These evening trail events are known for their friendly atmosphere and include options for both solo runners and cani-cross participants.

Jo ran the solo 5km route and finished as the first female in an excellent time of 18 minutes 57 seconds. Keeley took part in the cani-cross event with Reeka, a friend’s dog, and finished 11th in 23 minutes 12 seconds. She said Reeka performed brilliantly in her first ever cani-cross race.

Meanwhile, Ben Wood travelled to Germany this weekend to take part in the Berlin Half Marathon, one of the world’s fastest half marathon courses thanks to its flat elevation and wide streets.

Starting and finishing near the Brandenburg Gate, runners pass through central Berlin and many historic landmarks along the way. Ben completed the race in two hours and eight minutes.

He admitted it was “a tough run,” having struggled with sore legs throughout, but he was pleased to finish and catch up with friends afterwards. Clearly he recovered well, he already has a 10km race coming up soon.

Moving on and the trio of Mark Peck, Elin Hughes, and Eddie Bragg participated in the Sportiva trail races at Escot on Saturday.

The course loops through the grounds of Escot Park and features several tough climbs along with muddy sections that made the going difficult. Mark commented that the mud and wind made it hard to build speed but still found the route enjoyable.

The 10km course is a single 10.5km lap with around 170m of elevation, while the half marathon consists of two laps totalling roughly 340m elevation.

Mark finished 9th in the 10km with a time of 49:03. Elin completed her first ever 10km in 1:08, placing 77th. Eddie took on the half marathon and finished in 2 hours 5 minutes, placing 32nd.

Finally, Paul Evison tackled the Feighan Fury, a challenging 10-mile multi-terrain race created in memory of runner and mental health advocate Mike Feighan.

Set in the hills of mid Devon, the course features woodland, rivers, trails and plenty of elevation, with around 70% off-road terrain.

Paul said he had to stay alert due to the technical footing and admitted the race felt “tiring at the end… actually, long before the end!” He finished with an unofficial time of one hour and 53 minutes.