Brave show as Nigel fights on for teammates

Over the flat but at times muddy 7-mile course Gates was well up with the leading pack early on before his calf problem set in but fought on knowing a reasonable finishing position could mean his Brighton & Hove Club getting among the team medals.

Gates was still the first over-50 athlete to finish while his team also won the award for the first club to finish 12 runners.

The tough Mince Pie 10-mile multi-terrain race saw Lewes runner Robbie James lead his rivals a merry dance as he left the rest of the field more than a minute adrift and also broke the course record with a fine time of 57min 51sec.

In the women's race Sally Musson from Crowborough had a great run to finish third in 72.14sec behind race winner Alison Braham (Blackheath), who clocked a record-breaking 62.11.

Musson was the first Sussex runner to finish and also the first over-50 to complete the course.

Former Hailsham Harrier Katy Oxborrow, who now sports the Seaford Striders colours, made a welcome return to racing in Sussex after a gap of five years, finishing fifth in 73.28, the second Sussex runner home.

A few years back Oxborrow showed considerable promise in road and cross-country events in Sussex but she is primarily a top-class triathlete and uses the odd race for training.

In the recent Crowborough 10km road race the men's event was won by Darren Marsden from Sevenoaks in 35.10sec. Local runner John Lowden finished fourth in 35.54sec, the first veteran to finish.

In the older age groups Seaford's Anthony Cross was first in the over-50 age group in 41.10, with Barry Blackwell from Hailsham first in the over-55 group in 41.14, while John Taylor, also from Hailsham, won the over-65 race in 46.28.