I ran the full version of this race, the Exe to Axe, back in 2007. I remember it being (a) spectacular and (b) exhausting, but I have no record beyond that. Eighteen years on, I booked myself into the shorter and newer Sid to Axe race, not wanting to overdo a recently-recovered knee injury.
Being a point-to-point race, I arrived at Seaton good and early to catch a minibus to the start in Sidmouth. I was pleased to find free parking and intrigued to learn that there were only five of us in the minibus. We had a good old chat on the journey and arrived in Sidmouth as the morning chill was fading and the warmth was starting to build in the sunshine.
It was the most low-key and bijou start to a race I had ever encountered. Three more people turned up. Only one looked like he might be a competitive player but told me he didn't have much racing experience. We stood on the promenade, were counted down by the race director and off we went.
It was fairly apparent after a few seconds that I wasn't going to get any competition as we set off up the first hill, which was really rather juicy. About a kilometre in I briefly took a wrong turn and doubled back on myself, losing about 30 seconds, to find I was a few metres ahead of the possible contender. But I never saw him again.
Going into the first descent, the path seemed to be directing my left along the edge of a combe. Heading further inland, my suspicions grew until I reached the edge of Salcombe Regis and saw signs directing me back to the coast path. I'm going to have my work cut out to recover from this, I thought. Eventually I found the coast path and met some walkers to told that no one was in front. So I carried on, unaware that at least four of us had taken the wrong path.
The landscape was every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped, and my decision to wear road shoes was vindicated as everything was baked hard underfoot. At Weston Mouth we had to go right down onto the beach and then up a 160m hill - hard work. Then into more familiar territory approaching Branscombe, and up the steepest section to the top of the hill, by which point fatigue was starting to set in, but Seaton shortly came into view, I was into Beer and then on the final straight.
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| Looking back towards Branscombe. Sidmouth is in the far distance. |
The final 300m or so were on the shingle beach, which felt quite right and proper. I had a brief chat with the crew at the finish line, grabbed a banana and my medal and scarpered as I needed to get to Dorchester for lunch with Jem. As I left I saw another runner approach the finish line. Second place? No - this was the winner of the Exe to Axe.
My finish time was 1:41:59, 28 minutes ahead of second place. That's not a result I've ever had before or expect to get again!
Cracking race... loved all of it.
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Don't hold your breath for a repeat of a result list like this  This is a medal worth keeping |
