THE dawn broke crisp and clear for Minehead Running Club's premier event of the year on Sunday, the Exmoor Stagger.

By 11 a.m. more than 200 runners were assembled outside the West Somerset Community College for the start of the fourth running of the off-road event over some of Exmoor's steepest, most rugged and muddiest tracks, taking in over 2,000 feet of climbing.

Attracting good athletes from all parts of the country, the race is now established as one of the most gruelling long distance races on the calendar.

Local hopefuls with a knowledge of the course lined up with hardened national veterans and only a handful of fun runners for a seriously testing race.

The climb out of Ellicombe and over Grabbist showed no clear leader with Minehead's Paul Govier holding his own against Gloucester's Phil Pollard and Martin Stacey from Great Yarmouth.

Hillingdon's national veteran runner Brian Leach held back whilst locals Anthony Weaver, Graham Collins, Ricky Lewis and Stuart Creech were in contention at three miles.

Entering Long Combe, Creech dropped out through injury, and the field was spreading as the racers climbed over 1,000 feet in the next two miles.

The four Minehead men, all in the top 20 at half-way, seemed well placed with Govier well up with Pollard and Exmouth's Dave Stone.

Coming off the top of Black Hill the heavy mud saw Collins, Minehead's young hopeful for the future, drop back into the pack, whilst veteran Ricky Lewis was in his element. Unintimidated by the class of runners around him, he strove to bridge the gap between himself and fellow clubman Anthony Weaver in seventh position.

As the leaders headed back towards the Aville, where waist high water and an 800 foot 1-in-3 slope welcomed them, first through the water was Pollard.

He was now nearly a minute in front, but ashen-faced Govier in third still had Stone in his sights.

The top of Grabbist surmounted, Stone was away and gaining on Pollard, making the finishing gap less than a minute, whilst Govier was left languishing in third some four minutes adrift.

With the first three men home, three from South West Road Runners came in 5th, 6th and 8th to secure the team prize.

All eyes were now waiting to see which of Lewis or Weaver would emerge from Ellicombe onto tarmac for the first time in 16 miles and from there a quarter-mile dash to the finish.

Downhill specialist Lewis was in the end unable to bridge the gap, finishing 17 seconds adrift.

Seven minutes and ten places further back, Collins finished a little despondent but his time will come.

To show the quality of these leading runners, another ten minutes and 30 competitors passed before Minehead's next club runner Alan Dyer came home in 2-17.37, just ten seconds ahead of club mate Bill Wallace.

Local veteran Dave Bendy also had an inspired run, a powerful second half effort lifting him ten places and leaving Minehead's Sizer, Wallace and Dyer in his wake.

Lyn Swani (SWRR) ran well to take the ladies' first prize, with Margaret Greatorex the first local to cross the line in 2-37.18.

RESULTS

Overall: Men, 1 Phil Pollard (Gloucester) 1-45.30, 2 Dave Stone (Exmouth Harriers) 1-46.19, 3 Paul Govier (Minehead RC) 1-50.18; Ladies, 1 Lynn Swani (SWRR) 2-14.46, 2 Jenny Mills (Bideford) 2-18.49, 3 Fiona Tucker (Forest of Dean) 2-23.15.

!st team, South West Road Runners; 1st man over 40, David Cameron (SWRR) 1-55.05; 1st man over 50, Brian Leach (Hillingdon) 1-59.09; 1st man over 60, Philip William (Weston) 2-24.26; 1st lady over 35, Fiona Tucker (Forest of Dean) 2-23.15; 1st lady over 45, Jenny Mills (Bideford) 2-18.49.

Local runners: 3 Paul Govier 1-50.18, 12 Anthony Weaver 2-00.25, 13 (4th over 40) Ricky Lewis 2-00.42, 23 Graham Collins 2-07.09, 53rd (7th over 50) Dave Bendy (SWRR) 2-16.39, 56 Alan Dyer 2-17.37, 57 Bill Wallace 2-17.49, 72 Graham Sizer 2-22.14, 113 Lee Cowling 2-32.09, 124 John Lethaby 2-36.24, 127 Margaret Greatorex 2-37.18, 137 Phil Taphouse 2-40.48, 159 Fred Hagan 2-52.03, 178 Nigel Collison 3-02.24, 179 Chris Milton 3-02.25, 197 Anne Dyer 3-17.16, 198 Anne Coles 3-18.14.

l Whilst her fellow club runners were performing in the Exmoor Stagger, Minehead's Vicky Pinkham was recovering from her efforts in the country's largest half marathon, the Great North Run.

Chosen to start in the elite race of some 25 international ladies, Vicky held fourth place well into the race.

Paula Radcliffe won in a European record of 67-07, and Vicky secured eighth place overall in a time of 76.07 — a creditable time as she is only just recovering from a year-long injury.

Photos: Steve Guscott