Sidmouth RC pair complete the Bovey Beauty

Sidmouth Running Club duo Don Cawthera and Debbie Marriott took part in the Bovey Beauty, writes Hamish Spence.

This grade ‘B’ fell race was held in conjunction with The Woodland Trust and Natural England and was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and The Moor Than Meets The Eye Landscape Partnership.

It was organised by The Fell Runners Association.

The Bovey Beauty 10-mile fell race was a very scenic route, involving woodlands, open moorland, riverside paths and many other terrains.

It took the runners through some of the most rugged and remote areas of the East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve. Starting in the woods of the Bovey Valley at 11am just as the rain stopped falling, they climbed up to Lustleigh Cleave on the first of the 1800ft of inclines.

Then onto Hunters Tor at the head of the valley, returning via the rare Western Oak Woods on the southern side of the valley over Houndtor ridge and onto Trendlebere Down before returning to the start in Pullabrook Wood. Don and Debbie new it would be a tough run to complete.

The organisers deliberately keep the number of competitors under 100 and as an elite field.

So Don and Debbie were happy just to keep one or two people between them and the back marker. Both Debbie and Don enjoyed the race so much, that they are planning to go back again next year.