South Molton Struggler News

In a close battle with Bideford AC the eventual winners of the Vet Men competition 2016 were the South Molton Strugglers.  They got off to a strong start winning the first 2 rounds in style, but as if only to make the contest exciting Bideford bounced back taking rounds 3 and 4.  So it all came down to the final round on Bideford's home turf, both teams neck and neck on 44 points. Ultimately the gap at the end was just 4 seconds but Steve Abel got the job done on the final leg lead...

Various track and field events to try your hand at. The first round is on 8th May down at Par in Cornwall. It's open to all Strugglers, if anyone wants to go an take part please let Richard Connett know by the day before so he can give your name to Marilyn Blair from Torrington who is our team leader. We'd be taking part as a combined Tor/SMS/Ilf team. It's free although Torrington have paid some fees so maybe chuck them a few squid. Other rounds are 5th June Exeter, 3rd July Braunton, 4th Se...

UKA have released a new rule for road races which is worth noting to avoid being disqualified. "The wearing of headphones, or similar devices, (other than those medically prescribed), is not permitted in races on any single carriageway road that is not wholly closed to traffic. This restriction does not apply to races held on dual carriageways provided that there are clear, structured separations between the separate carriageways. Competition Providers of races held entirely on roads closed to traffic ...

Well done to all runners in the 2015 South Molton Struggle Results Full Results Category Results Photos Photos courtesy of Greg Hopkins Photos courtesy of Dhiren Smiles Photos from the Community Woodland  

The South Molton Strugglers presenting a cheque for £1000 to Emma Lowe from the North Devon Hospice

Hello there, We are delighted to announce a fresh new running event in south Devon on 10 October 2015. And we want South Molton Strugglers to be part of it!! Run Relay 100 is a 100-mile trail running challenge with 20 laps each of 5 miles. We invite you to enter teams of 2-8 runners to discover if by running in relay you can complete the distance within 17 hours. Not only a unique challenge Run Relay 100 is designed to bring together runners, triathletes and weekend warriors for a touch of rivalry and lots o...

The relays take place at Ilfracombe football club, for those not going Julie will be taking a group out from the Pip Centre. For the relays please get to the football club by 7 so the teams can be sorted out.  Parking available at the football club or the college next door.

Congratulations to all the runners this year.  Another great event, many thanks to all the helpers, sign erecters, marshals, tea makers who make this the event it is. Full Results - 2014  Category Results - 2014 Photos Set 1 - Studio Solutions Set 2 - Dhiren Smiles

No trophies this year for the Strugglers, but very close for the Vet Men, pipped right at the end. It was a strange year as we lost ND Road Runners who decided not to take part, but on a plus note the new Ilfracombe Running Club entered a team, we look forward to seeing more of them next year and hopefully running a round in Ilfracombe. Ladies Senior Ladies – 1st Bideford AC (48), 2nd Torrington AC (38), 3rd South Molton Strugglers (34) Vet Ladies – 1st Torrington AC (46), 2nd South Molton...

‘Brilliant, amazing, challenging, excellent, whens the next one, stunning, fun, organised’ - just a few of the words the competitors used to describe the inaugural Castle Hill Corker that took place on Sunday 23rd February in aid of the North Devon Hospice. When the Strugglers asked Lady Arran if she would give us the opportunity to hold a race at Castle Hill, we didn’t realise what a huge success it would be. But that it was and just six weeks after entries opened, all 200 spaces were taken. ...

So, as the 27th October got nearer race organisers watched nervously as the weather forecasters predicted the worst storm for 30 years! This could make the struggle even more challenging than normal. Thankfully, the forecasters got it right. Well in so far as the storm didn’t arrive until after the struggle had finished.    A record number of entrants this year took to the 7.8 mile course with 209 crossing the finish line covered in mud but feeling great.    The winner this yea...

If you have been unsuccessful in the main London Marathon ballot this year then why not put your name in the hat to get one of the two club places we have available.  Let Eve know that you're interested before the AGM in November when the draw will take place.   To be eligable you must have entered the main ballot this year and been unsuccessful, been a club member for over a year and you didn't receive a club place last year.

The 30th June saw one of the toughest marathons in the country take place around the north Devon Coastline. The South Molton Strugglers embraced this and fielded more runners than any other club and achieved results beyond their expectation. Furthermore, the half marathon which is equally as challenging (but just half the distance) also witnessed a fantastic strugglers field! For those that have never run a marathon before they were facing one of the biggest challenges of their lives. Not only running the 26...

The Welly 10 My first 10k race turned out not to be my finest hour (or 1 hour 14minutes and 4 seconds to be precise). I know the area well and was back on home turf. I knew it would be fairly hilly but thought my Devon training would be more than enough preparation. It would have been I'm sure, but something occured that I had not yet encountered whilst running. Heat. It became clear to me in the first kilometer that this was a whole new ball game. I felt drained, my stomach felt queasy and I really wasn'...

On Sunday July 7th 2013 Paul Cooke and I headed out to Fyne Court, Broomfield just north of Taunton for the Quantock Harriers ‘Quantock Beast’; a 5.7mile multi-terrain race. Although less than 10k I had heard that the Beast was not to be taken lightly and it would turn out I wasn’t wrong.  The organiser informed everyone at the start that this was the first year in a long time that the course was actually dry; however given the predicted temperatures of 27C I think the runners would...

The sun shone on the start of the 2013 Crediton Crunch, a course that had both on and off road sections, in addition to many hills! This did not prevent Paul Cooke coming in 10th position as first struggler home in 41.30, nor did it slow Lucy Goodman who claimed third lady with a time of 46.24, with Naomi Hughes also getting in under the hour at 57.30. Geoff Adams represented the veteran category for the strugglers and got home in an impressive 1.05.34, before the increasingly common sprint finishes of Ross Dennis...

Despite some tough weather conditions, the fast and flat course was the perfect event for Tracey Hulland to return to racing after more than 12 months recovering from injury and saw her secure a fantastic time of 46.59 and 1st in her age category. Mike Clarke was the first struggler home in 37.37 followed by Paul Morgan with less than a minute between the two. Daisy Adams ran alongside Tracey for much of the race and just managed to pip her at the finish in a time of 46.53. It was a family affair for the Adams f...

A great turn out of six strugglers set off from the “Start of Hell” on Sunday 12th May for the Black Death run hosted at Coombe Sydenham Country park. The start line did not lie, what a hell of hill it was from the start, and there were quite a few more to follow in the 10 mile race . The first Struggler home was Nick Whalley 1:36:51, followed by Jon Hibberd 1:58:37 (Jon’s results were slightly inaccurate, something to do with seeing the first water station only once….), Tringa Gould 2:00:48 a PB, follo...

Well lets get one thing straight, it was actually more like 18 and 8.5 mile races.  A fabulous turn out of Strugglers for the inaugural Hartland Hartbreaker races hosted at Hartland Abbey.  Paul Cooke was 3rd overall in the 17 mile race in a brilliant time of 2:34:19 and picked up a lovely trophy for his efforts.  Claire Campbell won the first lady over 50 prize with a strong performance of 3:26:34.  Kate Kilburn was the first Struggler home in the 8 mile race just pipping Emma Hill with a ti...

Three strugglers headed to London Town this year to take part in what is viewed as the greatest marathon in the world. Phil Pennington had experienced the london crowds before but for Chris Murrin and Lucy Goodman - our two club captains, it was their first time at this prestigious event. Weather conditions proved perfect for the runners and once the task of crossing the start line was complete (it can take up to 20 minutes) it was plain sailing for all three. Lucy Goodman continued in her exceptional form a...