Brown leads Sidmouth runners home at Taunton Half Marathon
Trudy Lester in action at the Taunton Half Marathon - Credit: Archant
On Sunday morning, nine runners from Sidmouth headed to Taunton for the 30th Taunton Marathon and Half Marathon.
The weather appeared to have finally turned, and other than a very strong headwind in the middle part of the course, the conditions were very good for the run.
All runners started together, on one loop of the outskirts of Taunton, setting off from Somerset College of Arts and Technology.
The first Sidmouth runner home was Sarah Brown, who is finally reaping the benefits of marathon training to finish in one hour-and-fifty minutes.
She was very closely followed by Becky Robson, who ran a very good race, finishing in 1:51. Trudy Lester, in her first half marathon, and George Chalstrey both crossed the finishing line comfortably under two hours.
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Whilst the half marathon runners were finishing, marathon veteran Jo Earlam opted for the full marathon at Taunton, which was two laps of the half course. She finished a hilly, windy course in a very respectable time of just under four-and-a-half hours.
John Doherty, also competing in his first half marathon, crossed the finishing line feeling very pleased with himself in two hours and three minutes, slightly before Mick Allen, a former Sidmouth runner and one of only nine over 70s in the race!
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Lynda Hawkins and her daughter Jade finished in 2:10 completing a very successful race for Sidmouth Running Club.
Further along the coast, Aaron Smith now working in Southampton, ran the Bournemouth Bay Half Marathon in 1:36 on Sunday morning. It will not be long before he creeps under that 90 minute mark.