Home Run For Tamar Trotter
Sponsor gets his teeth into this magnificent Cornish race...
Tamar Trotters put on some pretty good races down in Cornwall but only one can truly be described as magnificent. The Magnificent 7 Road Race, or 'MAG 7' as it has become known, has been a staple event on the South West calendar since 1999 and the latest edition was held on Sunday 2 July 2023.
MAG 7 starts and finishes at Saltash Rugby Club and is a challenging, hilly run through the lanes that surround the town that is oft referred to as: "the Gateway to Cornwall", with its position facing the city of Plymouth across the River Tamar.
The course is full of scenic delights, with magnificent views over the Tamar and Lynher Estuaries. The race is supported by Beaver Teeth Services, who don't provide dentistry to the second largest living rodents (after capybaras) but are an independent, family-run, tool, plant, and forestry equipment hire company based in Plymouth and Saltash.
In fact, Boss Beaver Darren Blenkinsop took the "family run" bit of his company literally as he completed his eighth Cornish Grand Prix race at the MAG 7, finishing 184th in 1:08:04 in his Tamar Trotters kit. Darren had almost 100 runners behind him as there were 283 finishers who were backed up by M65 Steve 'Superman' Neal, of Storm Plymouth, in 1:37:07.
At the head of the echelon, we saw the defending champion and Tamar Trotters favourite Jacob Landers (38:42) winning from Tom Morton (Mile High, 39:27) and David Tregonning (St Austell RC, 41:24).
The women's race went to W40 Anna Harrold (Truro RC, 43:44) followed by W35 Emma Paul (Hayle Runners, 46:38) and W35 Alexandra Russell Small (St Austell RC, 49:09).
The winning teams were Hayle Runners (men) and Truro Running Club (women) who are pictured above receiving their prizes from the aforementioned sponsor Darren Blenkinsop.
The course records of 36:51 by Tom Merson (Exmouth Harriers in 2019) and 41:55 by Emma Stepto (Cornwall AC in 2013) survived for another year.
Results can be viewed via runABC South race listing here.
Photo by Mike Pitches Photography on Tamar Trotters Facebook