Hastings athletes celebrate Snape Wood success stories

The club’s pacesetter, Will Withecombe, was the club’s first man home, placed 10th in a strong field of over 400, at the weekend’s second East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League race.

A fabulous run by Claire Read, placed 47th, made her the club’s second-fastest over the five-mile route and their first woman home.

On a two-lap course made famously gruelling by a long a uphill section across what geologists call Wadhurst Clay – but runners use rather more prosaic oaths to describe – many lost their footing.

But other sections of the picturesque tree-lined course (expertly coralled and marshalled by Wadhurst Runners) offered downhill and less sticky respite.

Other star performers for HR were Ben McNeill, Paul Lambert and the ever-rapid veteran Martin Noakes, placed 52nd, 57th and 66th respectively.

Among the women, Claire Thomas ran strong to finish 110th overall with Amanda Link, Jo Nevett and Ruth Spiller giving chase.

As in the ESSCCL last season, green-and-black clad Hastings Runners joined forces with usual rivals in the blue-and-red from Hastings AC.

At Snape Wood, the combined team represented a sizeable portion of the field with 39 from HR and over a dozen from AC.

Competing as one they are proving a real force to be reckoned with in the six-meeting series attracting 17 East Sussex clubs and others from beyond the county border.

The next ESSCCL race is at Newplace Park, Farmfield, on Sunday, December 17.

Hastings Runners welcome new members of all abilities aged 12 and over for fun, training and competitive running.

Visit https://hastingsrunners.co.uk

HY RUNNERS

The second East Sussex Cross Country fixture took place at Snape Wood on Sunday – and HY Runners were, as ever, well represented.

David Ervine won the race in 29:36, an astonishing 69 seconds clear of his closest rival.

Jonathan Hatch was the next HY Runner home, finishing 44th in 36:28.

He was followed by Todd Fitz-Hugh 112th in 41:11, Matthew Harmer 151st in 43:28, Rachel Wigmore 152nd in 43:29, Mark Wilson 186th in 45:33, Melanie Irwin 216th in 47:39, Fiona Patten 265th in 51:16, Leanne Gammon 266th in 51:17, Michelle Hart 294th in 53:09, Jenna Harmer 341st in 58:05 and Jacqueline Patton 401st in 1:07:36.

The HY kids also had the opportunity to race.

For the under-11 boys Michael Mansell was fourth in 8:45 with Alfie Irwin sixth in 9:18.

For the under-11 girls Jessica Wilson was seventh in 9:33, Evelyn Cornford ninth in 9:41 and Miley Wigmore 11th in 10:49.

In the under-13 girls’ race Ellen Gates was fifth in 9:01 and Alyssa Cornford sixth in 10:00.