Going for a run - picture special

And that in turn brought joy to Rother sports development officer Adrian Gaylon for this event by Bexhill Runners was, with the assistance of Rother council, aimed at encouraging people to take up healthy sport.

Bexhill Runners was founded in 2000 by Lee and Sue Holdaway.

Members meet twice a week for training - on Wednesday evenings, year-round on De La Warr Road at 7pm and on Saturday mornings in Polegrove.

Ladies-only races are held plus Tuesday evening training at the Western Road gym.

The club holds five kilometre races in May and September and a 10 kilometre event in September.

Club secretary Sue says of Bexhill Runners: "Anyone can come along. We always welcome new members. We have very competitive members in the club - and those who run and then enjoy chocolate afterwards who just enjoy running.

"It's a very friendly club."

Once a year the club joins with Rother under the Active Rother programme in promoting races for children and young people.

They are classed as fun runs. But the youngsters take them very seriously, as Wednesday evening demonstrated.

Large queues formed as club officers undertook registration and issued free t-shirts to all competitors.

Medals (and home-made cake) awaited all who completed their events.

Twenty six runners aged up to six - including the 21 month-old - set off on the 500-metre event from the beginning of the promenade.

The first was back in exactly two minutes'¦'¦

There were 47 in the 1,000-metre event for six to 10 year-olds. They raced to the Sackville and back, the first in 3mins 34 secs.

The pace was hotting up and a beautifully sunny evening certainly getting no cooler.

Crowds of supporters and other spectators lined the promenade to cheer on the competitive youngsters.

The 10 to 14 year-olds took to the starting grid for the 2,000-metres - up to the Sackville and back twice.

Maddy Smith, 13, was first over the line.

"It was quite hot," she told the Observer.

She meant the weather, not the race.

The evening also had a serious race for adults. Bexhill Runners host of the five-kilometre races in the Sussex Grand Prix series.

Some 284 runners from all over the county had gathered to run to Galley Hill and back twice.

Not only were points in the close-fought Sussex GP series at stake but a 50 prize for the first man and first woman home; 25 for second and 10 for third.

The Sussex runners did not disappoint the crowd.

Flyers left on cars parked in the area gave a foretaste of more campaigns in Bexhill Runners' Battle of Britain series to come.

The 10 kilometre race will be on Sunday, September 28 with a 10.30am start. The Poppy Half Marathon will be on Sunday, November 9 with a 1pm start.