It was another extremely busy week for Tavistock Athletic Club athletes, for junior and seniors, and across road racing, fell running and track and field.

It was a particularly triumphant week for Hannah Smith who came away with two major wins in her races. On Wednesday she took part in the Devon County AA 10,000m Championships at the Exeter Arena Athletics Stadium. She won the shield for fastest lady in 40min 16s. Also running the 10,000m was TAC life member Adam Holland who took third place overall in 35:06. Adam, then went straight on to run the one-mile race, finishing 8th overall in 5:04.

Hannah's second success came on Saturday in the Burrator Horseshoe. This popular six-mile moorland race, always held as part of Meavy Fair, loops via Burrator Reservoir, Sheepstor Dam and the summits of Sheepstor and Gutter Tor, to return to Meavy via Ringmoor Down. Hannah again was first female home, in a time of 55:48. Two other TAC seniors competing were Pete Bazeley, finishing in 1:21:27, and Emily Roissetter in 1:33:34.

TAC juniors also ran the Burrator Horseshoe race. Serena Bigham was first U11F, Olivia Walkerdine was first U13F, George Lake was first U11M and Seth Gibbs took 5th place in the U13M category. In the preceding SW Fell Runners Race, the Summer Solstice race, held on Wednesday, Paddy Moyna was TAC's sole representative, finishing 36th in 52:50.

Four TAC juniors made the long 650-mile round trip to represent Devon at the Junior Fell Racing Association Championships at Clougha Pike near Lancaster. Olivia Clark and Flora Mee-Langmead competed in the U15 girls race, finishing in 23rd and 30th places respectively. In the U17 races, Eldon Young finished in a very creditable 6th place overall (and first Devon runner), whilst Grace Gokhale finished 19th female. The Devon U17 boys just missed on on the team bronze medal, pipped by Yorkshire by just two points.

As well as his strong efforts at Exeter, Adam Holland also found time (and energy) to take on two 10k races. On Tuesday, he competed the second of the Thruxton 10k series winning the race by 30s in a time of 34:52. And at the Thornbury 10k on Thursday, he finished in 3rd place in 35.22.

On Saturday, Tavistock Athletic Club held the latest of their monthly Tavy 5k races. This particular race forms part of the Armada Grand Prix – a year-long group of events organised by running clubs in the local area. The 64 finishers therefore came from a wide base of local clubs. Race winner was Peter Allen of Erme Valley Harriers in 17:39, followed by TAC U17 runner Connor Duffin in 17:42 and Daniel Westlake of Storm Plymouth in 17:48. Of particular note is 5th place finisher Graham Bale who, by completing in 17:56, broke the M60 course record by a full 26s.

The next Tavy 5k race will take place on Saturday, July 19. Two days earlier, on Thursday, July 17, TAC will host the ever-popular Tavy Relays in the Meadows as part of Tavistock Carnival Week. Runners of all abilities are welcome for each of these events – check out the TAC website at tavistockathletics.co.uk.