Record field contests Big 10K

No less than 248 people started the race and almost 60 eager youngsters tackled the children’s fun runs immediately beforehand.

Bexhill High Street (Devonshire Road) was the central location for the race, and provided the athletes with a great atmosphere for the race HQ, and start and finish area.

The event attracted a huge range of ages and abilities from a two-year-old in the 500m children’s fun run up to an 80-year-old in the 10K, plus county champions to novices.

The course was dead flat except for one climb up to the top of Galley Hill at 7km and it proved to be quick with winner Josh Guilmant (Phoenix AC) setting a superb time of 31 mins, 54 secs. Daniel Anderson (Hastings AC) was second in 33:31 and Tobias Bremer rounded out the top three with 36:02.

On a mainly overcast morning with a westerly breeze which strengthened as the race progressed, the top female honours went to Erica Martin in 40:19, closely followed by Sue Fry in 40:37 and Vicki Clark in 41:17.

The top three overall and the winners of each age group collected trophies and vouchers from race sponsor The Tri Store in Eastbourne.

The Bexhill Big 10K will be back in September 2013 but the town can now look forward to the very popular Poppy Half Marathon on Sunday November 11. This race has almost sold out again and around 700 runners are expected to compete.

See Friday’s Bexhill Observer for a list of the leading finishers and more pictures.