ONE hundred runners lined up at Leighton Recreation Centre to take on the very challenging White Horse Gallop trail run on Sunday.
The race, which is sponsored by the White Horse News, is described as one of the most challenging trail run courses in Wiltshire, offering some tough climbs and technical descents but provides some fantastic views across Wiltshire and beyond.
The 8-mile route took runners from Leighton Recreation Centre on a long climb up through Wellhead and onto the Imber Range boundary path, before performing a circuit around the White Horse which included a thigh burning climb up the embankment next to the horse itself, before descending back along the Wessex Ridgeway into Westbury.
Dominating the running were Jim Webb and Fiona Blackmore, both of Team Bath, who ran out as winners with healthy time margins over the second placed runners in the Men’s and Ladies’ races. Finishing in the runners-up spot was Damian Spreckley from City of Portsmouth AC and in third place was Craig Rumble from Corsham Running Club. In the Ladies race, Carolyn Trippick from Somer AC took the runner-up position, with Daisy Dougherty from Bulford in third.
The team awards went to the Corsham Running Club trio of Craig Rumble, David Mackie and Alex Rex Kember and the Avon Valley Runners Ladies team of Jo Farion, Kate Hails and Sarah Jewers. Other age category awards went to: MV40 – Ben Blackwall from Trowbridge; FV40 – Debra Kearsey of Corsham Running Club; MV50 –Â Andrew Smallbone of Frome Running Club; FV50 – Diane Aldridge of Corsham Running Club; MV60 – Bob Salter from Bratton; FV60 – Christina Vivian of Avon Valley Runners.
