Ladies Triumph as Pioneers Peak and Sparkle

​The Pioneers have been at it again – not in huge clumps at one race but in swarms across a range of venues including Saltash, Newquay, Ivybridge, Leeds and North Wales. 

​Last Sunday, in absolutely stifling conditions the women won the Saltash Half Marathon team event – with Jo Robinson, Sally Crabb and Ali Catnach finishing 2nd, 5th and 8th overall. Mark Deacon led the Pioneers home in 1 hour and 33 minutes, in 15th place overall with Mark Grassam finishing 58th.

At Ivybridge on Friday May 11th a team of 10 Pioneers took on the popular 10k course with Mark Deacon leading the team home in 16th place in 38 minutes and Jo Robinson leading home the women, and winning the Female Vet 40 category in 43 minutes and 6 seconds. Lots of pbs were achieved, with other runners including Mark Grassam, Sally Crabb, Tania Elliott, Jennine Fisher, Jon Jones, Andrew Elliott, Louise Bird and Guy Cooper.

On early Sunday morning a team of six took on the newly routed Trevornick 10k (formerly the 10 miler). Across rugged terrain and coastal paths Tania Elliott led the team home in a fantastic 58 minutes closely followed by husband Andrew Elliott. Mick Torres, Jon Jones, Mandy Kemp and Lynne Overd all quickly followed in a blaze of orange.
​

Club vice-chairman and partner Nina Bond went North and took on the Leeds half-marathon, just a few weeks after their London Marathon exploits. They wound their way around the Leeds city centre and were delighted with their finishing times.
​

Whilst all this was going on Looe 10 Miler winner Oli Thorogood, aged 27, was tackling something slightly more hillish and hellish – in fact 20 times more hillish and hellish than the Looe 10 miler; the 50 mile Snowdonia Ultra. He conquered the 20,000 feet of elevation in 11 hours and 30 minutes- finishing 90 minutes ahead of second place and the rest of the field – which included international trail runners.