The Exmoor is one of our favourite days in the West Buckland School calendar. After a hiatus of two years, it was great to see the wonderful spectacle once again.

In the long race George Greensmith (03-20C) was the victor with Archie Guildford (14-19G) and Archie Benn (12-17F) coming joint second.

The short race was won by Oliver Hassall followed by Ed Barlow and Heidi Fargher-Harding

A huge thank you to everyone who participated. A special shout out to Mr Price for his logistical wizardry in making the Exmoor happen, to Berwick Coates for his entertaining Exmoor Assembly, John Whitfield (our expert in all things Exmoor - we love his stories) and all the support staff & Holroyd Howe who work so hard to make the day a great success.

How to run the ‘Exmoor’

If you are out on Exmoor, in the early days of spring,

Just minding your own business, not thinking of a thing,

The chances are you`ll find yourself – the odds are ten to one –

Chased by a barmy teen tsunami,

Doing the West Buckland Exmoor run.

Strung out over moorland, they stretch back for a mile,

Puffing in groups together, or wheezing in single file.

If the mud on them were added up, it would work out to a ton –

Motley dressed up, thoroughly messed up,

A great big barmy teen tsunami,

Doing the West Buckland Exmoor run.

The fitness freaks are leading; they actually want to win.

Stopping for a breather would amount to mortal sin.

They move as if they`re driven from the barrel of a gun –

Muscles screaming, sweaty steaming,

Motley dressed up, thoroughly messed up,

Barmy army, teen tsunami,

Doing the West Buckland Exmoor run.

Behind them come the humans, who just want it all to end.

They`ve lost sight of the freaks, who now have gone right round the bend.

All they want is a break from pain and rain, a glimpse of sun –

Gloomy and sulky, skinny and bulky,

Muscles screaming, sweaty steaming,

Motley dressed up, thoroughly messed up,

Barmy army, teen tsunami,

Doing the West Buckland Exmoor run.

At the rear end come the realists, who see it as a perk:

It may not be a joy-ride, but it sure as hell beats work.

With a Mars bar here and a lager there, it can be quite fun –

Make the best of it, damn the rest of it,

Gloomy and sulky, skinny and bulky,

Muscles screaming, sweaty steaming,

Motley dressed up, thoroughly messed up,

Barmy army, teen tsunami,

Doing the West Buckland Exmoor run.

So many shapes and sizes that you run out of surprises:

Happy ones, regretty ones; cheery ones, upsetty ones;

Solo ones, duetty ones, important ones and petty ones;

Scouty ones, cadetty ones, weedy ones, thick-setty ones;

Go-for-it-and-getty ones, but not prepared to betty ones;

Hail-fellow-well-metty ones, wired up internetty ones;

Deb`m and Somersetty ones, foreign come-by-jetty ones;

Unfit cigaretty ones.  Giving up?  Not-yetty ones;

Cool ones and fretty ones, dry ones and wetty ones;

Doing the West Buckland, loving the West Buckland, Exmoor run.

Berwick Coates