Sidmouth Running Club has been represented far and wide this weekend, starting with Toby Garrick wearing the Mighty Green at the Kilimanjaro Marathon and Kirsteen Welch racing with the elite and smashing another club record at the Wokingham half-marathon on Sunday.

Jo Earlam completed her 87th marathon in Exmouth and another marvellous achievement in her ongoing dedication to the sport. Jo thoroughly enjoyed the out and back course on Saturday organised by Running Events Devon. In total, the Mighty Green ran eight laps of the 3.28 mile loop between Exmouth and Budleigh along the old railway line and was pleasantly surprised with her time of 5:46:00.

For Toby, who is currently on his 3rd year Bath placement volunteering in Tanzania for five months teaching sports, getting to the start of the Kilimarathon was a marathon itself. The epic mission included a 13-hour bus ride, a 10 minute stop, another bus ride and then a taxi!

But it was worth it, running through small holder farms, villages, banana and coffee plantations and patches of forest with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background, an absolutely stunning place to run and surely one of the most exotic hosts to a Mighty Green shirt. The race started at 6.45am to make the most of the cooler temperature and the MG was delighted to finish 104th in 3:39.06 in the shadow of Kilimanjaro.

Kirsteen had a Sunday to remember at the Wokingham half marathon: a new club record, third place and an elite entry to Manchester marathon on 3rd April. Kirsteen said it was great to race amongst the elite road runners and the crowd was very supportive, which spurred her on.

Aiming for a sub-75, the Mighty Green finished the race in 74:42, despite the tough undulating course and was delighted to hear she came 3rd! When receiving her trophy the commentator said “Kirsteen Welch, all the way from lovely Sidmouth” and she couldn’t agree more. Having knocked 1:45 off the club record, which had been held since 2015, the club looks forward to seeing if more records will get broken in Manchester.

Sidmouth Herald: Toby running in TanzaniaToby running in Tanzania (Image: SRC)

Sidmouth Herald: Jo Earlam in marathon number 87Jo Earlam in marathon number 87 (Image: SRC)

Sidmouth Herald: Kirsteen at Wokingham HalfKirsteen at Wokingham Half (Image: SRC)