CHARD Road Runners had a coastal attraction this weekend, with the local Ham to Lyme Ultra Marathon, where six club members took part.

It was a less local affair for CRRs’ Mick Whitworth, who headed out on a half marathon route on the Isle Of Harris (north west coast of Scotland).

The weekend began with an early morning start for Andrew Leeson, who was taking on the 100k Lyme Regis to Ham Hill and back off-road race, starting at 7am from the picturesque meet point at Lyme Regis.

Leeson started well and kept good pace to the 24-mile point (near halfway), in joint second place.

Just as it was looking good for him to take a podium position, he took a tumble and rolled his ankle, while temperatures rose and made the race an even greater challenge.

Come 9.30am, the rest of the CRRs – Rod and Stuart McLean, Nina Wagstaff, Gavin Wyatt and Adrian Male – were setting off from Ham Hill to run the 50k to Lyme Regis.

All runners set a sensible early pace, with Wagstaff and Male in their first ever Ultra Marathons.

Leeson, meanwhile, had reached the turnaround point to head back to Lyme Regis – his aim for the race had changed from coming in as a front runner to getting back over the line.

Wyatt had to call it a day at the Winsham checkpoint, due to an ongoing hip injury, after which the McLean brothers were first to run into the Lyme Regis finish line, followed by Wagstaff and Male, all in very respectable times.

Leeson kept focused and committed, and with darkness descending he ran the final metres across the line at just past 10pm.

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MICK Whitworth faced a shorter distance, but also near-horizontal rain in his off-road half marathon.

Whitworth eased into the race and took all the winds could throw at him, heading out of the village and up onto the more open moorland.

He benefited from having the wind behind him as he headed back into Tarbert and the finish line, crossing in 2:30:20 – a fine effort.