ORGANISERS of a 10k run say they plan to make it an annual event after the success of the inaugural race.

Almost 200 people took part in the first Coxhoe Trail Run held on Sunday.

The off-road run, organised by Active Life Coxhoe, took place on an undulating course over old railway lines and quarry paths between Coxhoe and Kelloe, with runners aged from 17 to 74 taking part.

The race, which was sponsored by Hope Construction Materials operators of Coxhoe Quarry, was won by Iain Twaddle in a time of 34 minutes and 55 seconds.

Event organiser Bal Verdi comments: “We are delighted that the Coxhoe Trail Run was such a resounding success for organisers, competitors and our sponsor, Hope Construction Materials.

“It was a real pleasure to welcome so many runners to this area to take part in an informal, but still quite competitive event.

“The good weather on Sunday made the event even more enjoyable and helped runners get a real feel for the history and importance of quarrying in the area.

“We had lots of very positive messages from participants both on the day and through social media afterwards – and we are looking forward to an even bigger event next year!”

Coxhoe Quarry manager William Nelson started the race and presented the trophies to the winners.

He said: “This event was a great success and brought a real buzz of excitement to this area.

“While Coxhoe Quarry has operated for over 100 years, we have only been part of Hope Construction Materials for 18 months.

“It was a real pleasure to be able to support such an important local event, back the aims of Active Life Coxhoe and introduce Hope to the community.”