70 compete in Beat the Bus challenge
Runners in this year's Beat the Bus - Credit: Archant
The organiser behind Sidmouth’s Beat the Bus has hailed this year’s race a success, despite initial fears about the number of entrants and a last minute route change to avoid a herd of cattle.
The charity event on June 25 pitted runners against the number 157 bus from Otterton to Sidmouth Triangle – then back again – along a 10km mixed terrain route.
The race looked in doubt during May after only a handful of athletes signed up to take part.
But a late surge in the number of entrants meant that nearly 70 runners took on the challenge, which helped raise £600 for Sidmouth Living With Cancer.
Sixteen-year-old Jason Drew of Sidmouth Running Club was the first over the finish line, recording a time of 36 minutes and one second.
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Organiser Bill Valentine said the event had been a great success, despite a ‘stressful few hours’ before the start when he was forced to improvise a last minute route change.
He said: “We had a bit of trouble with one of the landowners because some of his cows had got out of the field the day before and caused some damage.
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“He didn’t want us to use the field, so we had to quickly consult the ordinance survey map to come up with a new route, and get out to re-mark it.
“It made it a 10km race instead of nine in the end, but people said they enjoyed the new route more so it all came together quite nicely!”
