THREE ‘Musketeers’ from Tavistock Athletic Club took part in a challenging, hilly race in Plymouth on Saturday.

Held by the Plymouth Musketeers Running Club their annual Muskies Madness is a 5.5 mile race around the lesser known parts of King’s Tamerton.

Only three members of TAC had the courage to attempt this ‘undulating’ hilly course and these represented the upper more mature end of the club.

However Tavistock runners Martin Exley-Deane in the plus 55 age group came sixth overall and first in his group - despite having a fitness issue. Pete Bazely came 27th in the +60 group and first in group and Andy Houghton came 38th and first in the +65 group, although would have been in the +70 group had there been one. Their times were 37 minutes 55 seconds, 42.13 and 44.16 respectively. So they really were the three Musketeers for the day!

The winning male time was 32.55 and the winning female time was 38.26.  The 5.5 hilly miles generally produces race times similar to a flat 10k or 6.25 mile times. Making this assumption (and using the 10k 2015 fastest world time standards) the age grading for the three runners Martin, Pete and Andy was 79.91%, 78.41% and 81.66% - comparing favourably with for example, the male winner of the Manchester 10k ran 28.08 giving an age grading of 95.26%.

The entry was down this year at 153 runners but despite the lower turn out around £500 was raised for St Luke’s Hospice.