FOR the first year in eight the Bude Lifeboat Run was sold out before race day, on Wednesday, June 15, for both junior and senior races.

250 juniors, aged 15 and under, raced a one-mile course around Bude’s cycleways and canal towpath.

The 350 seniors ventured farther afield over the Whalesborough estate on a six-mile course.

Thanks were expressed to staff of both the town council and Cormac for ensuring the route was in such good condition, even after the deluge of rain the night before.

Competition was at its very best and the evening was a resounding success for organisers, volunteers, participants and sponsors alike.

Main sponsor Outdoor Adventure and organisers Bude Run and Tri saw two strongly contested races in this RNLI fundraising event.

The first race, starting at 6.30pm, was the one-mile junior race, with the top three runners finishing in under six minutes. This year’s School year seven and above winner, 14-year-old Samuel Yearling, from Ivybridge Community College, finished in an impressive five minutes and 37 seconds, yet again reducing his course record by a further second.

The first girl was St Joseph’s School’s EllaHenry-Brock, aged 12, who finished in an excellent seventh overall in seven minutes 16 seconds. Other winners were:

School years 5 and 6, Boys — Archie Whitefield, Bude Juniors, 6m 34s; Girls —Courtenay-Jade Macaulay, Bude Juniors, 7m 20s. School Years 3 and 4, Boys —Zack Davis, Stratton Primary, 6m 26s; Girls — Emily Child, Wadebridge Primary, 7m 17s. School Years 2 and under, boys — Ryan Vanstone, Bude Infants, 8m 23s; Girls — Seren Chespy, St Petroc’s, 8m 37s.

The youngest finisher, two-year-old Evie Bickle, demonstrated the Lifeboat Run is a run for all. The School’s Cup, donated by Bude Run and Tri, was retained by Stratton School with 66 entries.

Stratton Primary headmaster, Phil Aldis, said: “I’m immensely proud of the school’s achievement. We’ve been regularly training for the event and it’s been a great deal of fun.”

The Senior Race, part of the Cornish Multi-Terrain Race series, is a six-mile, single lap course using two miles of flat cycle-ways for the route out, three miles of flat canal towpath for the route back and a connecting one mile hilly cross country footpath around the Whalesborough estate.

The race was won for the fourth year by Mark Jenkin of Bideford AAC in 32 minutes and 13 seconds, more than three minutes ahead of second-placed Marc Smerdon of East Cornwall Harriers who finished in 35 minutes 29 seconds and Newquay Road Runners Jonny Colaco in 3rd (35 minutes, 31 seconds).

The affiliated team prize was awarded to a very strong foursome from Bideford AAC comprising Mark Jenkin, Keith Shapland, Martin Colwill and James Jewell.

The non-running club team trophy went to Mike Garret, Drew Radley, Tommy Murrin and Lewis Wolfenden-Brown, the Outdoor Adventure team with Bude RNLI Lifeboat Crew second.

Local businesses are tremendously supportive, since 2010 Outdoor Adventure, an activity centre based near Widemouth Bay, has been the event’s main sponsor. Bude Rugby Club provide the Race HQ, scaffolding firm Bude Tubes kindly erect an impressive Finish gantry and Lidl provide high quality category prizes and bottles of water for all. Local sports shop HPT Sport regularly donates team trophies and kit storage is managed with the use of a trailer supplied by Bott Ltd. Another generous partner of the event is accountancy firm Metherell Gard who have supported the event since inception.

After its eighth year the Bude Lifeboat Run has raised equivalent funds to pay for an Inshore Safety Boat for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Stephen Hutchinson, race director, said: “A special thank you must be given to the 98 marshals around the course and Race Centre, RNLI Lifeguards who provide first aid cover and the Lifeboat Crew who provide the barbecue.”

For information about the race next year on June 14, 2017, contact Mr Hutchinson at [email protected].