Bude RATs are lucky to have some of the most severe coastal paths in the U.K on their doorstep, so they thought it would be fun to use this terrain for an ultra relay race involving club members and guests.
Calling the event Grrr (Great Rats Random Relay).
The relay consisted of two, 6 Leg, 20 mile sections, one south and one north of Bude, with the option to do either 20 or 40 miles.
3 Teams opted for the 40 miler, while some mad runners from further West tackled the entire route non stop!
These 'hardcore' runners known as 'The Mudcrew' are always training for some event and always looking out to do new
training runs. Huge respect for Andrew Ferguson, Dave Rowe, Diane Roy, Sarah Kenworthy (40 Miles), Jayne and David Angilley (20 miles).
The 2 local teams ran neck and neck the whole of the 40 mile route, swapping leaders. Team Ratsas (Kelvin Turner, Emma Bartrop, Wayne Van Rensburg and James Cann) came in to the finish first, beating Team RATtweilers (Mark Hutcheson, Mark Ward, Ben Mitchell, Sabine Mclean-Thorne) by a mere 5 minutes, which over a 40 mile course is a tiny margin.
The 3rd team 'Girrrls' (Becky Healey, Ali Migliorini- Stubbs, Jo Barraclough, Liz Wilson) came in in a very respectable time with Ali and Becky each running a massive 22 miles. The girls were delighted to win 3rd prize...Tins of RATatouille! 'Quite the strangest running Prize I've ever won' said Becky.
The route took the runners past the Rectory Tea Rooms, which proved too much of a temptation for some of the
runners and back-up crews, who thought it would be rude not to have a cream tea while they waited for their runners to go on to Marsland Mouth and back... after all they were waiting in the car park!
Team 'The Caked Crusaders' - Katie and Kit Davis, Lara Trewin, Avril Sainsbury
Team 'Sara' - Sara Zoeftig, Pete Freeman, Jim Webster
Team 'Daniel' - Daniel Dumas, Paul Currie, Andy Latter
Team 'Dolly Day Dreamers' - Alex Hutcheson,
Lorraine Jennings, Maria Martin,
Nicola Hammond, Terri Mitchell,
Ellen Hall, Elizabeth Haworth
Thanks to everybody who made the event a great success, Annie and Ray for their support and PapaRATSi Neil Hutson.
Some of the junior members also wanted to join in ... Report from Jane Cann.....
12 Junior RATS braved the coast path as part of the Bude RATS GRRR event.
Kate Greenaway's group had a tough run from Duckpool to Bude while Jane Cann's younger group ran from Northcott Mouth and were chomping at the bit all the way. They had so much energy they could have run back again!
On arrival the older group looked at the climb they had to make up from Duckpool and were somewhat worried about what they had signed up for. But they were all well prepared with their Bude RATS training and completed the distance which included a number of difficult climbs in quick time and all in one piece.
The younger group which included Pheobe Boundy, Verity and Avril Lynes, Tilly Daniel, Amber Houghton, Frances Fox and Eleanor Theakston were full of excitement and energy and were even up for doing extra at the finish.
At the finish we all enjoyed squash and biscuits. Thank you to all the parents who ran with a group or helped with refreshments.
All in all it was a good day, the weather was fantastic which helped make the event most enjoyable.
Congratulations to all the teams.
