After the Exeter Marathon: Dawlish or Exmouth

The Route: Exeter → Dawlish or Exmouth Logistics: By rail; both are direct, short journeys from Exeter St Davids. Marathon Month: May Duration: Day trip

Exeter ──(rail)──> Dawlish / Exmouth

The marathon's course stays inland along the river and canal, so a coastal day afterward offers a genuine change of scene rather than more of the same. Both Dawlish and Exmouth are direct rail journeys from Exeter, each built around a flat seafront promenade that suits legs that don't want more than gentle walking. May on the Devon coast: lengthening daylight and generally settled conditions, though this stretch of coastline is exposed and weather-dependent.

Dawlish

Dawlish is known for its seafront railway, where trains run directly alongside the sea wall, and for the black swans that live on Dawlish Water, the stream running through the town centre. The promenade itself is flat and easy, a straightforward walk with the sea on one side.

Exmouth

Exmouth, at the mouth of the Exe estuary, offers a longer promenade and a wide sandy beach, with views back across the estuary toward the marathon's own riverside course.

Where to eat: Both towns have a seafront concentration of cafés and fish and chip shops suited to an easy, unhurried lunch.

Getting Back

The return train to Exeter St Davids takes well under half an hour from either town, making this a flexible, low-commitment day out.