MINEHEAD’S Winter Seafront Race Series is set to start again, 30 years on from a speculative idea thought up by Minehead Running Club and with 25,000 miles of running clocked up.

They take place on the first Wednesday of each month from October to March.

The series is not like so many races, just geared up to attract fit adults – with no hills, no pressure and virtually no age limit, they are open to virtually everyone.

Anybody over 17 who can slip on a pair of trainers and turn out for a 20 minute run can take part in the senior race, while a resurgence in interest from the 10-16 year old age groups in recent years has added some rivalry between the ten schools and colleges which now turn out.

The under 10s race will set the ball rolling on October 7 at 7pm from the usual starting point opposite Minehead Railway Station.

All races track alongside the well-lit seawall, and for parents bringing children for the first time, organisers are keen to impress that there will be no on-road running for the youngsters and health and safety guidelines are rigidly followed.

Information has been sent to all schools and full details of the series and individual age group races can be obtained from Minehead Running Club’s website.

With everyone wanting to register on the first night, organisers advise competitors to firstly read the poster on the website and turn up to the HQ in the Hobby Horse Oak Room to sign in half an hour before the races start.

l Four members of Minehead Running Club travelled to Scoriton on Sunday for the first running of the Dartmoor Volcano Race.

An extremely demanding course with nearly 1,600 feet of ascent and many different terrains tested the nimbleness of all competitors, and Matthew Bowden was first back for the club in 22nd place with a time of 0.36.15.

Chris Clements, running his first race in two years, finishing just three places further back in 1.38.37, Hazel Hole was 44th in 1.49.20 and her husband Martin rounded off the top 50 in 1.52.08.

On the same day, Charlie Hobson completed the Bristol Half Marathon in a new personal best of 1.56.44 as she finished 3,496th out of around 10,000 entrants.

The previous week, Hazel was the only club representative at the Ash Excellent Eight trail run, the 15th Somerset Series race of the yea, and on an undulating mainly off-road course she was fifth lady in 1.05.47.

On Saturday September 5, Lee Cowling entered the Worcester Joust, a medieval themed 24-hour event run over an off-road 4.8 mile loop.

The third portion of six hours was abandoned after an incident with one of the runners, and in the end Lee managed a superb 62.2 miles in 16 hours and 35 minutes.