Hastings can be proud of club’s flagship Chandler memorial race
Hastings Runners flagship race, the Keith Chandler Memorial Road Race, attracts runners from all over the town, county – as part of the prestigious Sussex Grand Prix – and beyond, including some of the UK’s running elite.
After the 10am start, traffic is stopped to allow the field of 529 entrants to cross the main A259 seafront road before heading west along the seafront. Afterwards, the town’s MP Helena Dollimore – a keen runner herself – is on hand to present the trophies. It is a big deal for both the club and the town.
The 2025 race was the 17th iteration of an event named in memory of a former member of Hastings Runners. On the startline outside the Town Hall in Robertson Street, the event compere reminded those about to set off that all profits from the race are donated to St Michael’s Hospice – and the total raised is currently around £70,000.
While the elite runners at the front awaited “Three-two-one-GO!” from the starter, behind them was a field of widely varying ages and paces – none of them expecting to come close to eventual winner Wegahta Zerom of Ashford AC who romped home in a blistering 26 minutes 10 seconds, or Hastings AC star Grace Baker who won the women’s race in 29:03.
Among the lesser mortals, comprising almost a quarter of the field, were 140 Hastings Runners – all earning points in the 2025 Club Championship – clad in green and black.
Their number included stalwart Ron Huggett, who had competed in all of the previous 16 races and had been given bib number 1 to salute this. He was not the oldest from HR, though, as he was accompanied in the Male 75-plus age category – crossing the finish line alongside the Steve Uzzell (1:15:38) and trailing Michael Ellis (third in the 75-plus category in 50:38) by 25 minutes!
The older female side of the membership, with those over 75 being led by Yock Lin Richardson (first in the 75-79 bracket in 50:55), Christine Sanderson (winner of the 80-plus age category trophy with her 54:54) and Erica Wilson (third FV75-79 in 1:05:32). Xiulan Han, meanwhile, was third in the FV65-69 bracket with a time of 43:16.
At the opposite end of the age spectrum, a superb performance by Henry Burchett saw him placed 50th overall (and second in the Junior Men 15-17 bracket) with a time of 31:19.
The fastest three were all in the Senior Men 18-39 category – Fin Garlick placed 13th overall in a superb 28:18, followed by Louis Dargan in 29:16 and Ashley Vora in 29:18. The club’s fastest woman was, once again, Claire Thomas – running on the Vet Women 40-44 category and crossing the line in 36:07. She was followed by Seniors Lindsey Jones and Sarah Stewart in times of 36:42 and 36:43, respectively.
The club could also be proud of age group placings for Stuart Johnstone (third VM45-49 in 31:32), Martin Noakes (second VM60-64 in 33:22) and Andy Lee (second VM65-69 in 36:00).
There was no prize for the most ridiculous running outfit, but all club members agreed it would have been won by ultra runner Sam Davies taking it easy (following his 60-miler on the Fox Trail around Guildford the previous weekend) and celebrating his 43rd birthday in fancy dress – of long trousers, shirt tie and velvet jacket. Davies, seen at the turnaround point performing a “perfectly executed Will W Wiggle with jazz hands”, is a drummer in a couple of local bands so such madness is pretty much to type.