Horsham Joggers reclaim West Sussex Fun Run League trophy

With the competition as fierce this year as ever, the WSRFL brings out the best in the 17 individual running clubs across the county who take part in this annual open event.

Each club takes it in turns to host, across distances ranging from 5k to 10k, and often on extremely undulating trail courses.

The WSFRL works a little bit like the constructors’ championship of Formula 1, only it’s a fair bit more friendly and without quite as much champagne at the end.

In fact, with the aim across all the races to be competitive but above all enjoyable (healthy rivalry is the order of the day), the races take place across some of the most scenic but challenging routes in West Sussex.

After each run there are home-baked cakes, refreshments and a chance for the runners of the competing clubs in the county to come together and embrace a very social atmosphere and to reflect on the oft-challenging race they have just managed to complete.

Horsham Joggers were led this year by Dawn Whamond, who had taken over from Julie Jochimsen, and it was Dawn whose excellent organisation towards all the events alongside Nicola Barnes and Sandrine Yeates – and with some additional help from Andrew Wright and Steph Charman - helped steer HJ to the kinds of glory not seen since those heady heights of three years ago.

Across the 17 races, HJ scored a total of 2,044 points to finish in first place, followed by Chichester Runners (2,008 points) and Haywards Heath Harriers (1,996 points) in second and third respectively.

The final race in 2026 – the Gunpowder Trot – was hosted by HJ, and the usual community spirit was shown by all runners who took part.

And while the dry weather had meant there was no repeat of the mud-slinging swamps, excitable cow or requirement for pulling emergency vehicles out of a pit as had been witnessed in 2025, there was still enough fun had to ensure the day was a great success.

Make no mistake, the effort involved in all the clubs organising each of these events is huge.

At Horsham Joggers, Dawn and her team have packed so much into this. And you can times that by 17, as each of the competing clubs have to put the same level of effort in to making their own host day a success.

The first race of 2027 is already being planned – it’s the famous Hangover 5, which takes place on New Year’s Day, hosted by the Worthing Gazelles.

With organisers and runners in the WSFRL generating the kind of surging energy that could fuse the National Grid, scientists may well want to explore our county running clubs as part of finding a solution to our energy crisis.