BUDE'S Running and Triathlon (RAT'S) club's winter training paid off as a plague of over 40 Rats ventured out for their first competitive event at the annual Bideford 10km race and claimed great success.

What started off as a promising sunny morning turned into a downpour just moments from the start of the race, but undeterred the Rats put in a great performance with outstanding achievements in particular from Andrew Medland, who was overall 4th behind three very strong Bideford athletes and 1st in the senior male category, Bridget Funnell 1st in her age category, Irene Thomson taking 2nd place and Isobell Waterhouse 3rd in their respective categories and Kelvin Turner 3rd in the over 50s.

The Rats received a warm introduction from the Bideford Club during the prize giving and were welcomed as a new club and congratulated on the number of Rats entered in this 10km race, which was only exceeded by the host club.