Another busy period of racing for Exmouth Harriers

It’s certainly been a case of making hay whilst the sun shines for a number of Exmouth Harriers who have taken part in a variety of Westcountry races over the last couple of weeks.
Tom Merson won the 5000m in 15.09 at the Devon Open Track & Field Meeting in Tavistock. As the race included the 2021 Devon AA 5000m Championship, Tom was awarded the Devon AA gold medal.
There was some excellent running by eight Harriers at the Run Exe 5km around Exwick Playing Fields in the third of City Runs 5km Summer Series.
Everyone ran very fast times, despite having to run into a strong north-westerly wind on both laps of the pancake flat 2.5km course. The performance of the day from the Harriers was 13 year-old Aidan Bown’s superb finishing time of 19.54.
Tom Merson, plus Alison & Des White, were racing again at the weekend, this time in Dorset at the British Masters 10-Mile Road Racing Championship in Lytchett Minster.
Tom won three titles in one race; the Lytchett 10, the BMAF 10 Miles and he was first in the M35-39 age group in the BMAF race. His time on a very hilly course was a superb 53.15.
Tom was joined in the race by Alison and Des White, who were both first in their 65-69 age groups with Des finishing in 68.23 and Alison in 88.25, so it was three British Masters Championship gold medals for Exmouth Harriers in one race.
This was Tom’s second British Masters Road Running Championship title in 5 weeks as he won the 1/2 Marathon in Caterham on 18th July.
Chris Murrin took in the 28.2 mile Plymtrail Ultramarathon challenge in Plymouth and finished in 4.25.58. This now makes it 89 official marathons / ultras for Chris, he’s got a few new ones booked for October onwards and is now looking for one to compete in during September.
Chris’s aim is to run 100 marathons / ultras with his 100th planned to be in the Dartmoor Discovery Ultramarathon in June 2022 with a number of Harriers accompanying him on the 32 Miles up and down some of the toughest hills that Dartmoor has to offer (entries open online on Sunday 17th October 2021 at 7pm).
No rest for Tom Merson, as he returned to racing 72 hours after taking the BMAF 10 Mile title at Lytchett Minster, when he ran a 5,000m at the Odd Down track in Bath on Wednesday 25th August. Not only did Tom win the race by nine seconds but he also set a season’s best time of 14.58.