Hailsham duo show great Fortitude… Rovers on track at Crawley… Wednesday gang enjoy finale

Two members of Hailsham Harriers joined 200 runners at Pippingford Park, near Nutley, on Saturday to take part in the Fortitude challenge.

The Fortitude Challenge is a timed, lapped event, where by entrants run laps of three, four or five miles on the hour, every hour for ten hours.

This challenging course takes in up to 700ft of elevation but proved no problem at all for Harriers Julie Lewis-Clements and Michelle Hollands, two of Hailsham's’ Couch to 5K run leaders.

They both chose the three-mile lap and clocked up an impressive 30 miles each, finishing with beaming smiles, as for both, this heralded their longest running distance ever.

Meanwhile In Hastings, on a wet Sunday morning, 28 Harriers turned out to run the 39th Hastings Half Marathon with sterling performances all round.

Ross Brocklehurst raced to a new personal best in 1:14:47, over a minute quicker than last year, placing eighth overall and first in age.

Ross was followed by teammates Rob Chrystie 1:22:34 and Los Burrett 1:26:03 both running personal best times. Graham Woolley 1:29:47, Helen O’Sullivan 1:35:42, Matt Southam 1:36:43, Audrey Haddon 1:39:29 with a personal best, Simon Haddon 1:41:13, Carl Barton 1:41:50, Mik Husarz 1:41:50, Tina Macenhill 1:45:50, Wendy Robson 1:47:27, Graham Purdye 1:47:27, Chris Little 1:48:59, Tracy Erridge 1:49:01, Gary Smith 1:50:01, Barry Burgess 1:55:39, Mark Pope 1:56:46, Hannah Deubert-Chapman 2:00:27, Victoria Little 2:02:30, Frances Delves 2:06:46, Katy Reed 2:08:58, Sam Neame 2:13:20, Ros Thomson 2:21:41 with a personal best, Lisa Phillips-Horner 2:28:51, Maria Stanford 2:43:03, and Darren Gillett 2:44:45 made up the strong black and red team.

Like past years, the Hastings Half is overseen by Hastings Lions Club and this year’s saw 2,000 entrants run, with the event raising funds for charities including Martha’s Trust, St Michael’s Hospice, The Sara Lee Trust and Chestnut Tree House.

Hailsham Harriers will begin their next Couch to 5K programme in April. Email Tom Price at [email protected] to join.

EASTBOURNE ROVERS

Eastbourne Rovers athletes were undeterred by rain when they competed at the Crawley spring open track meeting.

This event provides competition in some of the more unusual events of 75m, 150m, 300m and 600m for athletes to test their speed ready for the start of the outdoor season.

Oscar Mizen started his day lining up for the under-15 boys’ 600m.

He took the lead from the start and held off the rest of the field as he sprinted into the home straight to record a personal best of 1min 35.

Oscar then found more speed as he won the 300m event knocking a fantastic 1.5 secs off his last season’s best time.

Dylan Brudenell contested the under-20 300m, where he was up against Eastbourne’s senior athlete Bryn Smith.

Dylan chased all the way to finish close on Bryn’s heels in a personal; best of 36.3sec.

This time should give him a sub 50-second timing in the 400m.

Bryn came through in a great 35.7 sec.

It was head to head in the 150m as well with Bryn surging in front with a win in 16.6 sec to Dylan’s 17.1 for second place.

Senior Shania Martlew showed her winter training has paid off as she ran a personal best in the 150m in 18.9 secs.

In the under-17 age group it was the turn of Zoe Wright and Caitlyn Spencer.

Zoe surged through in the last few metres to clock 20.5 secs and Caitlyn dipped under 20 seconds with a 19.9sec.

Josie Usher exploded out of the blocks in her 75m for a personal best of 10.9sec and followed this with another good start on the bend for her 150m, finishing in 20.7 sec.

Jemima Scott tested herself in the 150m and 300m alongside Sophie Hutchison in the 300m, both gaining personal bests.

Ellen Bregazzi competed in her first 75m with a time of 11.3sec.

Under-13 Jackson Walker raced in his first competition gaining valuable experience in the sprints and leaping 3.35m in the long jump.

It is a busy period for Eastbourne Rovers youngsters.

Last weekend was the schools inter-county cross country at Tonbridge.

This Saturday brings the Brighton mini mile, then the Sussex Road Relays are a week later.

RUN WEDNESDAYS

Run Wednesdays competed in the final 2022-23 cross country race of the season with a large team out on the Pett five-mile course.

It is the traditional last race in the East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League, in which 17 teams compete in six events over the winter.

This is the second year Run Wednesdays have competed in the series since become an affiliated British Athletics club and they were fifth in the league as a stand-alone team.

Crowborough were first, with second, third and fourth places taken by joint club entries (Hastings Runners/Hastings AC, Eastbourne Rovers/Bodyworks and Heathfield/Uckfield).

Twenty-nine out of 35 Run Wednesdays athletes scored points throughout the series. Special mentions go to Lee Burns and Shane Smith in the M35 category, Alan Morehen in the M50 category, Phil Visick in the M60 category, Martina Dalecka and Fiona Williams in the Women’s Seniors category, Sam Crompton, Jessica Beake and Nicola Degl’innocenti in the F40 category, Michaela Stringer in the F45 category and Tina Macenhill and Tracey Erridge in the F50 category. Top runners for the club were Emma Murphy (F40) and Mary Austin-Olsen (F65) who both came second in their age categories.

Men’s Run Wednesdays captain Kevin Moulding said: “It has been a great sight seeing the magenta vests arriving for the events.” Run Wednesdays hosted a second Cross Country League event over the South Downs. Coach Danny Garbett and transport providers Steve Offord and Lynns Travel were thanked.