TAVISTOCK Athletic Club’s monthly 5k run around the park enjoyed it’s 20th outing last Saturday with a record number of runners making the start line including 20 new participants.

Although it was a little damp the conditions were good for running evidenced by a number of personal best times and a few of the age category records being broken.

The 5k distance is proving to be popular and a great introduction to organised running events for beginners to the sport. The Skool Run is a friendly and welcoming event which sees runners of all ages and abilities, club and non-club members tackling the almost flat and certainly scenic course around the perimeter of Tavistock College, around The Meadows and back to finish line on the athletics track.

On Saturday Tavistock AC’s Neil Barkell romped home in a fabulous time of 16 minutes 53 seconds: only 25 seconds away from his excellent course record set in August 2015.

First lady home, and 10th overall, was under 15 athlete, also from Tavistock AC, Clarissa Nicholls with a superb 21 minutes 9 seconds.

Several of the runners are ‘graduates’ of Tavistock AC’s ‘Couch to 5K’ programme which has been running since last summer. 

The next Skool Run takes place on Saturday, March 19. For more details about the Skool Run go to www.skoolrun.events.