Salmon Run: A community celebration of the epic Exe salmon with 3 runs in one day from sea to moor
On Sunday 24 September, World Rivers Day, a hand-crafted salmon called Samantha was carried by 6 relay running teams over 50 miles from Exmouth to Tarr Steps along the river Exe to celebrate the amazing Exe salmon and to highlight the challenges they face.
Also starting at 8am on Mamhead Slipway in Exmouth a group of ‘ultra’ runners ran the entire 50 miles up the exe valley way and two moors way empathising with the salmon’s epic journey against the flow of the river over the weirs to the spawning grounds on Exmoor one of whom shocked organisers by running at an average of 8.4 minutes per mile!
In the second relay section, a 5k community run in Exeter from Salmon Pool to Exwick Mill field, runners waiting for the salmon to arrive played the Weir Leaping game led by a master of ceremonies clad in a salmon coat and fishnet stockings.
The event which had runners ageing from 3 (cycled the 5k!) to 72 allowed runners to face their own levels of challenge from 5k to 50 miles for some a considerable feat of endurance!
The event in its second year was created by Tidelines, a community group that focusses on the river Exe and Estuary by bringing scientists, artists and the community together in innovative ways, such as the Salmon Run, to focus on and care for our local natural changing environment. Run expertise was provided by Wild Running.
Salmon Run is also part of the inaugural Festival of the Exe managed by Friends of the River Exe.
This was a joyous community celebration of the Exe salmon which has been inextricably linked to cultural life in Exeter and the river catchment, its abundance even given the river its’ name (Exe = Isca = fish). The project is supported by the River Exe Tributaries Association and the Westcountry Rivers Trust whose work on improving the health of rivers of the South West includes the Strategic Exe Weirs project, a project to mitigate the damage to wildlife including salmon caused by these often-decaying barriers.
Adam Fieldhouse ‘first salmon home’ (50 mile runner) said: ‘Running the distance and following the river is a great way of to get more in touch with the cycles around us that nature has to repeat year on year, gives you a bit more respect for the salmon that have to do that distance and I think it’s incredible that they can find the same location they spawned from. Just thinking about all that is a good thing to do, anything to educate yourself more on the natural cycles is great. And getting out there physically is a great way to do it.’
Arthur Finch, 22, an MSc student from Exeter University who ran in the final relay team, said: ‘It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience – it’s increased my knowledge of salmon in rivers across the UK and shed light on the issues they face.‘
A Salmon Run is the surge of salmon upriver against the flow to remote spawning grounds when river water quantities are just right. As a ‘keynote’ species the salmon indicates the health of the whole river and the many challenges they face, many common to all species, local and global.
More info at: https://tidelines.uk/
