Haywards Heath Harriers shine in London Marathon - and elsewhere

First home for the club was Ben Gibson in a super quick time of 2 hours and 37 minutes. Siobhan Amer also ran a super marathon a week after running in the South Downs Way Fifty Mile race and Emma Pryor running a new marathon best time.

Harrier results were:

Ben Gibson 2:37.31; Tim Stannard 3:12.50, Siobhan Amer 3:51.34; Victoria Free 3:57.58, Gemma Morgan 4:02.40, Emma Pryor 4:43.17 (pb).

Ian Kenton, who is in great form, unfortunately did not manage to finish due to an injury not long after the start.

Other Harriers results:

Manchester Marathon - Chris Turner ran a super personal best time of 2 hours and 49 minutes and 6 seconds finishing in 286th place overall out of 22,299 finishers.

At the Fleet Half Marathon on 24 March, Tim Stannard finished in seventeenth place in a time of one hour twenty-four minutes and fourteen seconds.

Sam Atkin ran in the Hastings half Marathon in a time of one hour and forty-five minutes and thirty seconds.

West Sussex Fun Run League

by Michael Parish

On 1st April Monday, Bank Holiday Monday, saw Lewes Athletics Club open their doors to the third run of the season with the West Sussex Fun Run League (WSFRL). This was a 10km trails race around Lewes taking in Iford village, with 17 athletics clubs gathering at Lewes Leisure Centre athletics track.

The race started well with half lap of the track and into Ham Lane, following that around and under the A27 before hitting the trails. At around 4km the chalk footpaths had a build-up in water from the rain creating sticky white mud. Athletes battled on through the slippery surface heading for the village of Iford and back towards Lewes.

Coming out of the fields we were greeted by the Kingston Road, turning past Lewes RFC and Lewes Priory Cricket Club, before re-entering Ham Lane and heading for the final half lap of the athletics track.

There was great running from Haywards Heath Harriers with Andy Hind, 41:32; Gary Salom, 41:57; Matt King, 42:06; Rachael Overton 46:07; Simon Robinson, 49:32; James Smyth, 51:27; Abigail Redd, 51:51; Gemma Morgan, 52:00; Richard Caddy, 54:02; Chris Rowe, 54:27; James Buckeridge, 54:30; Lucy Anderson, 54:52; Philip Scott, 54:58; Kath Buckeridge, 58:13; Marion Hemsworth, 01:03:41; Sarah Hamilton, 01:05:33; Michael Parish, 01:05:41; Tracy Adams, 01:21:27 and Rupert Purchase, 01:21:35.

With the third race of the season completed Haywards Heath Harriers are in a good position with 1st Horsham Joggers (346 pts), 2nd Lancing Eagles (339 pts) and 3rd Haywards Heath Harriers (332 pts). This is on the back of the Worthing Gazelles Hangover 5 on New Year’s Day, Crawley Run Crew’s Run Your Heart Out at Tilgate, unfortunately, Fittleworth Flyers had to cancel due to a heavily waterlogged course.

This is a great result for Haywards Heath Harrier James Smythe who took on the WSFRL fixtures for the club, arranging all the entries and drumming up support ensuring the club has a good level of attendance and propelling them up the league table.

Lewes One Mile Race

Ben Ledger-Catton finished a superb sixth place in the one mile event at Lewes in a time of 6 minutes and 37 seconds.

Ultra Racing:

An ultra runner is generally a runner that is competing in a distance event of more than the standard marathon distance of twenty six miles three hundred and eighty five yards.

One of the Harrier’s ultra runners is Carl Bicknell, who over the weekend of 13/14th April I took part in the Crawley 24 hour track Challenge.

In Carl’s word he commented:

“It started 12 noon on Saturday at Crawley's K2 Athletics track, and the challenge is quite simply to see what distance you can complete in 24 hours.

“It is very different from traditional endurance events. Logistically it is very simple: you do not have to carry anything, and you are never more than 400 metres away from the aid station or your kit bag.

“Timing chips record your laps and a leader board is updated hourly. But the repetition and non-changing scenery is psychologically challenging. Just as with marathons you have to start off at a steady pace, otherwise you will pay the price later!

“Despite a few low points during the night, I was pleased to complete ninety-two miles and finish fourteenth out of thirty-three measured by distance, in a field that included elite runners, some who achieved age category records and team GB Ultra standard qualification.”

At the Crawley Open Meeting on 1 April at the K2 Sports Centre a group of Harriers took part in this seasonal opener event where athletes were getting themselves warmed up before the first of the athletic league races that start in April for the youngsters and in May for the adults and also for the Sussex County Championships.

Results:

Jesse Diack: 100m 15.41 secs (pb); Long Jump 3.67m.

William Kean: 100m 13.96 secs (pb).

Marcos Selby: 800m 3:02.78.

Russ Mullen: 3000m 10:16.53.

Alice Johnston competed in the Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC Spring Open which was held on 7 April. Competing in the Pole Vault she vaulted 2.52 metres for 3rd place in the women's event.