Mud, mud glorious mud as Harriershave record turnout at Goodwood

Haywards Heath Harriers team captain Tom Mullen reported: “The weather was particularly bad for the junior races, with driving rain and fog affecting the younger athletes. It brightened up for the senior races although by then the undulating course was fairly muddy.”

This did not stop the Harriers though, and their record turnout across the age groups produced some excellent results in what were highly competitive fields.

In the 3K race for U13 girls, Jasmine Mamoany was 32nd in 14.37, Francesca Pitcher 42nd in 16.12 and Annabel Peters 46th in 17.01.

For the boys, Thomas Peberdy was 31st in 13.16 and Keelan Karki 43rd in 14.55.

In the U15 girls race over 4k, Flora Lonie was 29th in 20.53 and in the boys race over 4.5k George Adams was 37th in 18.55.

There were some good results in the under 20/Senior and Vet race of 8k.

Phil Hardaway was a fantastic 19th in 28.29, followed by Rob Watts 25th in 29.02 and V50 Paul Cousins 29th in 29.15.

Tom Mullen was inside the top 40 in 30.01 and brother Russ, now back and running well, clocked 30.18.

Phil Payne was 53rd in 30.37 followed by Richard Sutor 70th in 31.28, Mark Mcloughlin (V50) 32.07, Will Herbert 32.23, Barry Tullett (V40) 32.30, Tim Hicks (V50) 32.29, Rorie Morrison (U20) 34.10, Mike Essex (V40) 37.41, Shaun Barrett 40.24 and Graham Kenward (V50) 42.12.

In the 5k U20/Senior/vet women’s race, Katherine Barrett was 56th in a good 22.46, Michelle Pearce 84th in , Linda Tullett (V45) 98th in 27.31, Michelle Holdstock (V35) 101st in 28.34 and Jenny Denyer (V55) 105th in 33.35.

On Sunday at the Lancing Eagles hosted Steepdown Challenge, last event in the West Sussex Fun Run League this year, running conditions were pleasant for the 5-mile senior race over the South Downs.

In the junior 1 mile race, young Harrier Katie Grant was second for the girls in 6.17.

In the senior race, Barry Tullett was a great 15th in 32.43, followed by Louise Toomey, back racing, 5th woman in 35.21, Mark Armitage 37.39, Steve Horn 42.42, Michelle Pearce 43.44, Linda Tullett 46.28, Michelle Holdstock 47.08, David Peel 51.29 and Jenny Denyer 56.04.

At the weekly 5K Clair Parkrun, nearly 70 runners took part and Mark Davies returned to form by finishing 2nd in a pb of 20.16.

Steve Dallman was 3rd in 20.22 and followed by first-timer Lewis Barrett-Berry 27.04, Lorna Collins 35.32.

Alan Thomas and Margaret Hollamby did the sprint and standard distance duathlon at Chilham Castle on Sunday, when appalling weather slowed times and Hollamby admitted both were wrong to use road running shoes.

In the sprint (5k run/27k bike/2.5k run), Thomas was delighted to claim his first age category with 1hr 48.12.

Hollamby opted for the standard distance event (10k run/40k bike/5k run) and was pleased to finish 3rd lady although at 2hr 51.23 it was her slowest ever duathlon.

She said: “The off road very hilly run route had long stretches of thick mud and it was reflected in slow times.”