Four Carn ladies headed to Roadford Lake for a Halloween weekend of trail running on Saturday 31 October 2026. Sarah P, Jan and Sarah C took on the 10K, while Cat ran the half marathon with a friend. With perfect weather, mud and stunning scenery, it was a fine day to swap familiar roads for the Devon trails.
Sportiva Events’ Devon Trail Races at Roadford Lake offered both distances on a course with short climbs and muddy sections. The 10K followed one loop; half-marathon runners covered two. That gave our runners different challenges to tackle in the same lakeside setting.
Three Carnies on the 10K trail
Sarah P, Jan and Sarah C flew the Carn flag in the 10K. A trail race can feel quite different from a road 10K: the ground underfoot changes, the route rises and falls, and mud becomes part of the day rather than something to avoid. Roadford delivered that mix, along with the scenery that makes an away race worth the trip.
The weather played its part too. Perfect conditions let the landscape shine, even if the muddy stretches ensured this was still a proper autumn trail outing. There is something particularly satisfying about a race that leaves you with views to remember as well as evidence of the course on your shoes.
Cat goes the extra distance
Cat chose the half marathon and ran it with a friend. On Sportiva’s two-loop course, that meant returning to the trails for another circuit after the 10K runners’ distance was done. It made for a longer challenge on the same varied terrain and a different way to enjoy the Roadford setting.
It is lovely to see Carn represented across both events. Not every club race outing has to mean everyone running the same distance: Sarah P, Jan and Sarah C had the 10K to take on together, while Cat had company for the half marathon.
A finish worth lingering over
After the trails came beer and lovely cake at the finish — a welcome ending to a day of running, mud and big views. Sportiva’s event included a finish-line beer for adults, but the cake earns a mention in its own right in our account of the day. It is the sort of detail that helps turn a race trip into a story to share back at the club.
Well done to Sarah P, Jan, Sarah C and Cat for taking on Roadford’s Halloween trails. Whether it was one loop or two, the scenery and the muddy course gave them plenty to remember. For more outings in Carn colours, catch up with our club news.
