Sidmouth pancake tossers gear up for charity races

Rotarians introduce children’s races for Sidmouth pancake race day

PANCAKE tossers are training to get in shape for this year’s Sidmouth Pancake Races.

This year, for the first time, Sid Valley Rotary Club, which organises the event, is staging children’s races as well as adult ones.

They will take place on Tuesday, February 22, even though Shrove Tuesday falls in March this year.

Teams from local businesses and organisations are putting in entries for the competition and last year’s winners from Dukes hope they can successfully defend the trophy.

But they will face strong competition.

The races proved popular last year, with competitors and spectators helping to raise money for Rotary’s international campaign to eliminate polio from the world.

This charity will again benefit from this year’s races, which will be held in Old Fore Street Teams of four from businesses, clubs or just friends, are being invited by Rotarians to compete.

Races are run as a relay, with each team member in turn running the course while tossing their pancake.

The children’s/young people’s races take place between 12.30pm and 1pm before the adult races, which run from 1-2pm.

Rotarian Roger Saxon said: “If you can’t compete, then come and watch the races for an entertaining hour.”

The Rotary Club warns it can only accept a limited number of teams, so you need to be quick to get your entry in.

Contact John Rees on (01395) 579579 to submit entries, or email him at johnrees201@btinternet.com, by Friday, February 18.