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Race Listing for Devon

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Club Focus: The Tattooed Trotters

Teignbridge Trotters are based in Newton Abbot. Over 30 years old, they are a 300-strong club, who take part in road, trail and cross country races. The Chair, Roger Hayes, veteran of over 100 marathons, spoke to runABC South.

When and how did the club first form?

Back in 1982 an article was placed in the Mid-Devon Advertiser to see if anyone was interested in meeting up to train for the second London Marathon. A meeting was arranged and chaired by George Sydenham – the director of recreation and tourism for Teignbridge. Those present agreed to meet on Sunday mornings and go for a training run. The route and distance was decided that morning. Thus the Trotters were spawned.

What’s a typical training night?

The club train on a Monday and Wednesday evening from Coombeshead College at 7pm. We offer many different sessions, ranging from complete beginners to a session designed for marathon runners. We average about 70 members on each training session.

Tell us about the members.

Our youngest member is 15 and our oldest 93. It’s a pretty even split between men and women.

And your club emblem lets them display their loyalties ...

Our emblem depicts the humpback bridge within the Newton Abbot area. It shows a man and a lady running over the bridge. We currently have 27 members who have the Trotters emblem tattooed on them. I doubt there is another running club anywhere in the world with that sort of commitment!

A sociable club?

We have a reputation for being a club that like to party. We’ve had three marriages as a direct result of members meeting each other at the club. Features of the Trotter year are the club camp, the club trip, annual foreign marathon trip and the awards evening.

What are the most notable achievements by club members?

We have five members who have completed over 100 marathons. Our members have won many local races and continue to do so.

Tell us about the club events

The Moorland Run - now called the Haytor Heller - attracted 60 entrants for its first staging in 1986 and now sells out its 300 places every year. We also host the Ladies 10K, Templar Ten, Bovey Tracey Cross Country and the Totnes 10K - which remains our biggest entry with 631 in 2014. The club took over the staging of the notoriously tough 32 mile ultramarathon, the Dartmoor Discovery in 2011. The race has gone on to attract a real cult following and - in 2014 and 2015 - it sold out in six days!

Sum up Teignbridge Trotters in three words.

One big family

Running groups in Devon

• Cornerstone Runners
• Exeter University Beginners Group
• Exeter University Improvers Group
• Run Yourself Fit Riverside (Riverside Leisure Centre)
• Friday Fun and Run (Exeter Arena)
• South West Road Runners (Exeter Arena)
• Run for Fun with Exeter City FC
• St Leonards Beginners (County Hall)
• Whipton Beginners (Exeter Arena)
• Wonford Beginners (Wonford Leisure Centre)
• Quay2Fitness (The Prospect Inn)
• Sidmouth Running Club (Sidmouth Sailing Club)
• Tiverton Harrier Beginners (Heathcote Factory)
• Crediton Running Network – Beginners (Lords Meadow Leisure Centre)
• Run Barnstaple (North Devon Leisure Centre)
• Plymouth Life Centre beginners
• Brickfields Sports Centre beginners group
• Emmanuel Church intermediate group
• Lipson Community College beginners group
• King Tamerton Community Centre running group
• UCP Marjon Sports Centre beginners group
• Torridge Turtles
• Bere Alston Trekkers (Tavistock Community Sports Centre)
• Women On The Run (Exeter, Exmouth, Torbay & Honiton)

If you would like your club to be added to this page, get in touch!

Focus on: Cornerstone Runners

Devon’s new town Cranbrook needed instant community. The Rev Mark Gilborson spread the running message ...

What are the most important elements of establishing a new community? A school? A pub? A church? All very important of course. But what about a running group? Reverend Mark Gilborson certainly believes in the power of running and made it a priority in Devon’s newest town Cranbrook.

Sitting just 9 miles north-east of Exeter, the first new town in Devon since medieval times saw houses built and occupied in 2012 with Mark also installed as the church minister. Mark’s philosophy is: “I have realised people need community as much as they need church.”

And so it came to pass that a running group was created by Reverend Gilborson. Cornerstone Runners was established in February 2013 with just a few runners heading into the cold night air.

Since then as the town grows, so too has the running group. Reverend Gilborson explains: “I recently set up a Facebook group and there are now 158 people associated with Cornerstone Runners. We run on a Wednesday and there can be anywhere between 15 and 30 runners and on Saturdays, the marathon training group attracts any number between 3 and 15.

“There are also around 35 to 40 doing the couch to 5k course, where we have a real mix of members from absolute beginners upwards. We have teenagers, some in their 60s, there is even a guy who used to train with Steve Cram and has a half marathon best of 63 minutes – obviously he’s a lot older now.

Members have travelled together to take part in Kilerton parkrun, the Color Run and Great West Run. Now 48, Reverand Gilborson began running in his early forties. He said: “When I reached 40 or 41, I decided to try and do things that I actually wasn’t very good at – my wife is a much better runner than me.

“I always said I don’t actually like running. But I thought ‘what if I apply myself?’ I ended up running a marathon. We made our own route, running past churches I had been a minister of. We planned it as longer than the marathon distance to be sure.

“It was on the hottest day of the year last year. We raised funds for Vranch House, a children’s charity in Exeter. I never try to persuade people who I run with to come to church. But if there is anything I can do to get people who come to church to run, I do.

“People are amazing. Often they limit their own potential. This can be because of their culture, personality or other circumstances. Running helps people maximise their potential by not limiting themselves.”

Services in Devon

Do you operate a service for runners in the Devon area? If you'd like to be added to our list get in touch with us!

Nutrition Advice

Please contact us and we will include details of your service

Personal Training

Please contact us and we will include details of your service

Physiotherapy

• Devon Physiotherapy
• East Devon Physio
• North Devon Physio
• Exeter Physio
• Quay Physio
• Otto Physiotherapy

Podiatry

• Devon Square Podiatry
• Exeter Clinic
• Estuary Clinic
• The Natural Health Practice

Sports Massage

• Ali Sizmur
• Hodgson Sports Massage
• North Devon Sports Massage
• Rebecca Tripp
• Sharon Reed
• The Massage Clinic