It doesn’t happen very often in the Sid Valley but the light dusting of snow which fell on parts of the off-road challenge route meant a new experience for some Sidmouth running club members.
Mighty Greens’ Brigid McSmith and Ann Cole, Tracy Scannell and Beccy Johnson, Christine and Karen Farnham took up the Chairman’s challenge and ran up through Buckton plantation, while MG Hamish Spence followed the OGLE (Ottery Group Lockdown Exercise) route and found snow on top of East Hill.
An early start from Ottery for shorts wearing Dan Prettejohn awarded him with an impressive amount of snow and blue skies on top of Fire Beacon.
Meanwhile, Alexa Baker was on the trail of another lockdown challenge, while chairman Terry Bewes has compiled a sheet of 65 photos of seats run past over the last year for members to name the location. The one Alexa found on Fire Beacon might not have been on the list but it did have a lovely view and a mini snowman.
Elsewhere, when Sidmouth running club member Allan Kay heard about the first UK-wide Blue Light Active challenge, he quickly signed up.
Allan was set to run the London marathon last year on behalf of the supportive charity and had been busy raising the money required by holding coffee mornings, quiz nights and beetle drives.
The Blue Lights charity challenge was set for emergency service workers, which retained Sidmouth fire fighter Allan certainly is, as he is also a full time (temporary) fire fighter at Exmouth station and is supporting South West Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST) by covering driving duties.
The Mighty Green has set himself the challenge to run a minimum of 5k per day for 32 days, no mean feat when you take in the 12 hour shifts and the five-day residential course he is about to undertake to become a permanent whole time fire fighter.
Run leader Allan explained that the Fire Fighters charity offers specialist, lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community, empowering individuals to achieve mental, physical and social wellbeing throughout their lives.
If you would like to support Allan, please go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/allan-kay32

Sidmouth Herald: Hamish Spence on the Ottery exerciseHamish Spence on the Ottery exercise (Image: SRC)

Sidmouth Herald: Enjoying the dusting of snowEnjoying the dusting of snow (Image: SRC)

Sidmouth Herald: Allan Kay blue lights charityAllan Kay blue lights charity (Image: SRC)