Bideford Half Marathon 2023

An amazing 26 TAC runners travelled north on Sunday for the highly anticipated Bideford half marathon – always a favourite throughout the Southwest. The weather was kind – no frost, wind or rain – and, as usual, Bideford Amateur Athletic Club put on an immaculately organised event. They always have the best marshals and the best support but this time they provided all finishers with a much-admired commemorative medal featuring the local Tarka the Otter statue.

The TAC runners were a diverse set, ranging from seasoned athletes well used to the distance and looking to improve on their best times, to runners taking on the 13.1 mile race distance for the first time. The course took the runners on a short loop round Bideford town centre, then up the main road to the Puffing Billy Café and back down on the Tarka Trail.

First of the TAC runners home was Sam Larkham with an impressive time of 1hr 12min and 13^th overall out of 859 finishers. Allan Herdman finished first in his V70 category, and the TAC female athletes did particularly well: Helen Orme – 3^rd FV45, Jenny Bryant – 3^rd FV50, Maarit Green – 5^th FV65, and Hannah Worth – 6^thFV40. Runners taking on the half marathon distance for the first time, following months of dedicated training, were Sarah Swinburne and Lucy Hann – both achieving excellent results.