The 24th Totnes 10K on Sunday 4 August 2024 was the third race to use the revised course introduced in 2022 due to erosion in the River Dart valley, where this Devon delight is based.

Host club Teignbridge Trotters explained the decision and its effect on course records on the event website: "This year we have decided that the revised route, most recently forced upon us due to erosion, will become our permanent course for the foreseeable future. In recognition of this we have reset the course records based upon times recorded over the previous two years on the new course. There is now a real incentive for you to come along and set a new record for the course."

With 520 finishers, the testing Totnes course proved as popular as ever despite, or perhaps because of, its lung-busting climbs through historic Dartington Estate and North Wood. The race director is almost perfectly named – Rod Payne!

One athlete with an eye on the time was the overall race winner and Wild Running Events Director, Ceri Rees (M50), who was 13 seconds off Tom Merson's 2022 best of 38:26. Having missed the £100 bonus for an outright record, Rees had to settle for a £25 prize for his new over-50 time of 38:39.

Rees was chased home by the Trotters' own Oli Reynolds (38:54) and Matthew Gilvear (40:40) of Erme Valley Harriers. New male masters records were set by M40 Joel Heatley (South West RR, 41:21), M45 Lee Turner (Torbay Tri Club, 41:17), M55 Graham Bale (Plymstock RR, 43:22), M60 Richard Smith (Torbay Tri Club, 47:26), M65 Hugh Marsden (Exmouth Harriers, 53:53) and M70 John Shapland (Bideford AAC, 51:12) – on a busy day for the Teignbridge Trotters treasurer!

Louise Flynn, of Les Croupiers RC, flew to an outright women's and W40 course record 44:14, pocketing a combined £125 bonus one place ahead of Fiona German (South West RR, 44:36). W40 Ellie Dominey (unattached, 45:50) completed the women's podium. The only other women's record went to W70 Lesley Nesbitt (Yeovil Town RRC, 1:14:21).

The Mile Fun Run around the Borough Park venue in Totnes saw 150 competing and wins for under-18s Leon Snell (Torbay AAC, 5:02) and second overall Tara Ferguson (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, 5:07).

Full results and previous reports are available at the runABC South race listing here.

Photo of Fun Run courtesy Teignbridge Trotters Totnes 10K website