Dartmoor Trail & Fell Running Services

Dartmoor Trail & Fell Running Services Fell running guide-Writer-Outdoor storyteller. Dartmoor based Mountain Leader. Community, maps and muddy miles. Author: Dartmoor Trail & Fell Running
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A former Royal Marine Instructor and Level 5 coach.
​Colin has completed many of the top fell races, including the self-navigating UK Mountain Trail in the Lake District, two Bob Graham Rounds, the 105 mile Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc in Europe, and numerous Mountain Marathons which involves running and navigating in remote areas over adult development. His first book; Dartmoor Trail & Fell Running was published in 2023

Race Reflection….So today is the actual Summer Solstice, and oh the weather!!!Wednesday’s Summer Solstice Race however, ...
21/06/2026

Race Reflection….
So today is the actual Summer Solstice, and oh the weather!!!
Wednesday’s Summer Solstice Race however, was a different tale.

With a record number of entries online, Dartmoor threw a curved ball and gifted us with zero visibility.

My initial thought was the runners would get full value for the £6 entry at least…

This humour didn’t last as I had to mark the course so much, I ran out of flags and ended up snapping the remaining ones in half to complete the route…it was a mission!

Thoughts of cancellation did enter my mind but the course marking took so long, it was already too late, with eager juniors turning up already…or was it just exasperated parents just wanting to lose a kid on the moor for a day or two??

So I took the decision to do an out and back, for the safety of the runners and my volunteer Marshalls.

I hope this didn’t take away from any enjoyment on the evening, and I’m sorry I couldn’t greet all of you back with a handshake or hi five at the finish…I just needed to go out and deconstruct the course and ensure all returned safely.

Anyway thank you to all who ran and entered, and to all my volunteers; Cat, Rosie, Laura, Danni, Daniel, Nicky, Tim and Richard.

Enjoy the second half of the year and the rest of the swfellrunning series

Tonight’s Summer Solstice Race….The visibility is very poor so all junior races and (unless this lifts…) the adults race...
17/06/2026

Tonight’s Summer Solstice Race….

The visibility is very poor so all junior races and (unless this lifts…) the adults race too…will be modified..

This is a fell race but by its nature, an introduction to the sport, and is marked ish

However, I have spent the best part of three hours marking the course and you still can’t see one flag 10m in front of the other.

I am not willing to risk having to run and round up 100 runners into the early hours.

Some of you are very experienced and could navigate the course with no markings I understand, however, it’s on my head.

To the end we are going to do an out and back to White Tor…unless the weather gods change their mind

Full FRA kit is required.

If you wish to defer to next year then that’s fine just let me know as some travelling a long way

It’s race day….and the weather is full value…I will mark the course today so you should have no need to navigate so don’...
17/06/2026

It’s race day….and the weather is full value…

I will mark the course today so you should have no need to navigate so don’t be put off

Online entries have closed but you can still turn up and enter on the day…

Look for the white van for registration.

Adults race starts at 7pm

See you this evening

Last day to enter this Wednesday’s Summer Solstice Fellowship race (17th June @1900) Join the other 80 plus folk running...
16/06/2026

Last day to enter this Wednesday’s Summer Solstice Fellowship race (17th June @1900)

Join the other 80 plus folk running (🫣) up to the Staple Tors, Roos Tor, White Tor with a cooling stream crossing, not once but twice on this 5 Dartmoor miles

Link in bio and comments

(Picture by a very young Lara Dix 10 years ago)

(Line from a poem I wrote soon to be published in the Fellrunner Magazine)

This weekend…I have mostly been….Supporting another successful Bob Graham attempt by taking Andrew over leg 4…11 plus mi...
15/06/2026

This weekend…I have mostly been….
Supporting another successful Bob Graham attempt by taking Andrew over leg 4…11 plus miles and 9 mountains and 1500m of ascent…

Back in Devon now and focus shifts to this weeks Summer Solstice Race 17th June at 7pm

Places are filling up but ideally we could do with 3 or 4 more marshals and a tail runner if anyone is unable to run but wants to still be involved…

Many thanks as always..see you on the hill

☀️

Entries are now open for this years celebration of seeing in the longest (ish) day of the year; The 2026 edition of the ...
09/06/2026

Entries are now open for this years celebration of seeing in the longest (ish) day of the year; The 2026 edition of the Summer Solstice Fell Race

5 Dartmoor miles and over 1000ft of ascent in this otherwise fairly flat event.

Entry is £6 to include parking donation

Main event starts at 7pm

Entries accessed in the bio and/or comments

Volunteers for marshalling always greatly received for those not wanting to run

Running is about community…not always about time or pace….Running against time can be lonely Running in time with friend...
17/05/2026

Running is about community…not always about time or pace….

Running against time can be lonely

Running in time with friends is fruitful

❤️

Guided a fantastic group today from Okehampton to Ivybridge 33 Dartmoor miles and 4600ft of upWell done to all…Didn’t s...
16/05/2026

Guided a fantastic group today from Okehampton to Ivybridge
33 Dartmoor miles and 4600ft of up

Well done to all…

Didn’t strava it myself so it obvs didn’t happen. 🙄
My watch doesn’t last a parkrun

Out today for a gentle morning fix on one of my favourite routes….I try to aim for 1000 ft in every 5 miles ish on the ...
02/05/2026

Out today for a gentle morning fix on one of my favourite routes….

I try to aim for 1000 ft in every 5 miles ish on the moor, so as to:

A) give me an excuse to go slow and b) keep the climbing and descending legs up to scratch

Managed to dodge the rain on this one, but the moor was very dry so it needs this sky juice we are getting now…

Love the look of the elevation profile… especially the climb up to Cox Tor at the end

See you on the hill

Col

Address

Tavistock

Telephone

07790738042

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