Hailsham, Eastbourne and Hastings athletes in form in all corners of Sussex

Twenty Harriers took part in the first fixture of the season in the East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League at Lewes Black Cap.

The club are joining 18 teams from across Sussex in six fixtures held between October and March.

Hailsham produced some fine performances with these results: Martin Bell 33:16 (26th), Graham Woolley 34:55 (47th), Los Burrett 35:04 (49th), Sarah Underwood 37:12 (80th), Chris Shoult 38:17 (103rd), Matt Southam 38:39 (110th), Mark Pope 39:32 (131st), Jenny Katsoni 39:39 (134th), Annette Feakes 40:08 (150th), Andy Ruffell 41:04 (167th), Wendy Robson 41:14 (169th), Samantha Neame 46:40 (270th), Hannah Deubert-Chapman 48:46 (302nd), Julie Chicken 49:15 (310th), Felicity Williams 50:07 (322nd), Victoria Little 50:37 (328th), Katie Manley 55:41 (381st), Julie Lewis-Clements 56:31 (385th), and Ros Thomson 58:28 (403rd).

Eight Harriers headed to Hove Lagoon for the Hove Prom 10k, part of the Sussex Grand Prix series.

In soggy, windy conditions 377 runners took part. For the Harriers Ross Brocklehurst was first home in 35:14, sixth overall, followed by Rob Chrystie 40:53, Helen O'Sullivan 43:04, Audrey Haddon 47:50, Gary Smith 48:10, Victoria Little 52:07, Steph Bassett 52:15, Frances Delves 54:57 and Norman Harris 1:11:54.

Hailsham Harriers are a friendly club who welcome new faces – see hailsham-harriers.org.co.uk

See next week’s Herald for news of the Harriers at the Beachy Head Marathon.

EASTBOURNE ROVERS

Eastbourne Rovers juniors dominated the town’s Schools Cross Country at Hampden Park.

Pre-race trials were held at schools and based upon their performances; young athletes were selected to represent their schools.

Conditions were favourable for cross country running compared to previous years as it was relatively dry and firm underfoot.

The runners were challenged as they had to work into a keen headwind during the long gentle incline which they faced on each loop of the course.

Eastbourne Rovers athletes showed their strength by winning every race except for the Year 7 girls’ race where Elsa Ducat (Ratton) positioned a fine second and Ayana Reid and Chyna Wai (Gildredge House) were fifth and sixth.

A spectacular run came from Joshua Webster (Gildredge House) who held his lead from start to finish in the Year 7 boys’ race to claim first place. Rovers’ athletes Archie Franklin (Ratton) was sixth just ahead of Byron Roberts (Gildredge House) in seventh.

The boys’ Year8/9 race was dominated by Fin Lumber-Fry (Ratton) who won by a considerable margin on the two-lap course. His talented team mates Ben Wright (Willingdon) came a superb 3rd, Jonah Messer (Cavendish) was fourth, Tom Petherick (Gildredge House) fifth, Oscar Mizen (Gildredge House) sixth, George Armstrong (Cavendish) 15th, Vinnie Hardy (Seaford Head) 17th and Fisher Winslet (Ratton) 33rd.

The Year 8/9 girls’ race was competitive and it was new Eastbourne Rover Daisy Connor (St Catherine’s) crossing the line first ahead of Freda Pearce (Cavendish) second, Raya Petrova (Gildredge House) third, Lexie Mclean (St Catherine’s) seventh, Chyna Wai (Gildredge House) 11th, Katy Brown (Ratton) 13th, Pearl Winslet (Ratton) 18th and Milla Winslet (Ratton) 26th.

New Eastbourne Rover Ella Perry (Cavendish) led all the way in the Year 10/11 girls’ race with Lea Ducat (Ratton) fifth.

The Year 10/11 boys’ race saw Ilya Korchev (St Catherine’s) hold off Fintan Pearce (Cavendish). Cody Wilkinson (Ratton) positioned well in seventh.

It is likely Gildredge House won many age groups.

Children will now be chosen by their schools for the county championships, to be held in Brighton in January.

HY RUNNERS

HY Runner Jason Johnstone took on the Beachy Head Ultra.

Held for the first time, the event’s 52km course combined the full Beachy Head marathon course with the 10k course.

Johnstone completed his debut ultra in 6hr 47min.

He said: “It was really tough but also really enjoyable.”The Beachy Head Ultra forms part of two stepping stones ahead of Johnstone qualifying to take part in a 100-mile ultra next year, with the other qualification race taking the form of a 50-mile trail run in Chester next March.On the same day at the same venue, HY Runners’Tom Brampton raced the 10k course achieving an impressive top ten finish in 45:54.Stuart Piper, Rachel Wigmore and Michelle Harrod represented the club at the Woodchurch five-mile race on Sunday.

Stuart ran a fantastic race crossing the line in second place overall in 28:58, while Rachel was second female overall and first in her age category in a PB time of 37:23.

Michelle Harrod also earned herself a PB, completing the course in 1.04.

Miley Wigmore and Holly Wigmore rounded off another great weekend for the club completing the kids’ one-mile race in 8:53 and 9:01 respectively.

On Saturday the HY boys took centre stage with nine-year-old Noah Mayhew finishing first in his age group at the Belton House parkrun taking nearly five minutes off his previous best to achieve a PB of 21:14.

Sam Stephens, aged ten, ran the Tonbridge AC one-mile cross country race placing 20th out of 56 boys in a time of 7:26.

Stuart Piper finished first at Hastings Parkrun in a PB of 17:07 setting a new club MV35 record by three minutes.

Meanwhile clearly not perturbed by his marathon efforts, Jason Johnstone took to the trails once again to complete the Bedgebury Half Marathon in time of 2:03:46.

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