Eastbourne Rovers in tune at Glyndebourne – excitement builds for half marathons – Hastings athletes chalk up fine finishes

Around 500 athletes competed in nine races and it was the first time the tough, hilly course had been used.

First up were the U11 girls, where Eastbourne fielded a strong squad, with Neva Loseby-Brown (9th) and Lela Reid (10th) battling to the finish.

In her first Sussex League race, Jessica Webster finished 19th, with another year to go in the age group. Harriet Whiting, Orla San Emeterio, Ava Simmonds, Poppy Charlwood and Ada Messer all ran impressive races.

Novices to the scene, Dylan Fox and Declan Bunn demonstrated great resilience with sprint finishes in the U11 boys’ race.

In the U13 boys, Byron Roberts led for Eastbourne, placing thirdl. Byron took individual bronze for the season.

Teammate Archie Franklin ran strongly in 7th with Joshua Webster, returning from injury, in 16th. These results earned silver team medals.

New Rovers athletes showing great promise for the future were Jacob Edleston in 25th, Jackson Walker 29th and Xavier Bray 32nd.

Grace Luford-Brown has gone from strength to strength this season and timed her race to perfection to finish well up the strong field in 28th.

Eastbourne’s Daisy Connor won the U15 girls’ race, followed by teammate Freda Pearce, who took season’s gold. Superb performances came from Raya Petrova in 4th, Katherine Brown 11th and Chae Wai 25th. Eastbourne took team gold.

The U15 boys also struck gold. Fin Lumber-Fry was 2nd, Jonah Messer 3rd, George Armstrong-Smith 4th, Thomas Petherick 5th and Teddy Jones 18th. Lumber-Fry won individual silver for the league.

Fintan Pearce finished was 2nd U17 to clinch series silver.

The Rovers veteran ladies were third on the day with Jenny Brown 2nd V45, Heather Jenner 7th V35 and Felicity Webster 13th V45. The ladies won league gold, Brown silver.

Isabelle Chappell was 15th in the U17 girls’ race.

Eastbourne’s senior men produced a fine display for 7th spot. Stuart Pelling led the way in 22nd, with Richard Davis 7th V40, Mike Thompson 8th V60 and C Weldon 26th V50.

SUE FRY

EASTBOURNE HALF

The 19th Eastbourne Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, March 3.

The race starts at 9.30am at Princes Park and mostly follows the seafront proms towards Beachy Head, then runners head back along the prom to Sovereign Harbour for a loop back to the finish at the park.

Around 1,000 runners of all abilities will take part, with many raising money for race charity St Wilfrid’s Hospice. More than 50 will run specifically to raise hospice funds.

It has new race directors, Sue Fry and Liz Lumber, well known as organisers of the Eastbourne 10k.

Lumber said: “We’re looking forward to putting on an event for everyone to enjoy and hope the Eastbourne community will come out to support the runners.”

Entertainment includes the Panthers cheerleaders, Stix, Pentacle drummers and bagpipe player Richard Brookes.

Also supporting the event are The Eastbourne Sea Cadets, Eastbourne Rovers AC and Matthew 25 Mission, who will run water stations along the route.

More than 100 volunteers will direct and cheer on the runners.

All finishers will receive a bespoke jigsaw-piece medal as they cross the line plus a cup of hot chocolate.

This year there will be a new cash prize of £100 for the quickest person on the day who breaks the male or female course record. (men 1:11:24; ladies 1:22:31)

Numerous local businesses are supporting the race.

Sign up at register.enthuse.com/ps/event/EastbourneHalfMarathon2024

HASTINGS HALF MARATHON

by Eric Hardwick

With the institution which is the Hastings Half Marathon coming up to its 40th event in a month’s time, it’s a good time to look back at how the event got off the ground.

Taken for granted these days is the fact it took two years to get off the ground for its first running in 1985.

As a member of the Hastings Lions Club, I had the idea of a Half Marathon for Hastings when training for the first London Marathon in the early 80s.

The Lions Club fully supported the project, but it was the start of a frustrating two years trying to get the permissions required.

Initial plans were made, with the route and start/finish area in place, but getting agreement from Hastings Borough Council and the police proved a big stumbling block, which at times left me wondering why I was even bothering!

The main problem was that the council would only agree to the event if the police also agreed, – and vice versa! It was an impasse.

The breakthrough came when I met the chief constable of Sussex at a meeting at Lewes, which was nothing to do with the race. I asked the chief why Hastings couldn’t stage a half marathon and the reply came that there was NO reason. He asked that I again write to the chief at Hastings, letting him know a copy was going to him.

This was sent, and there was an immediate response from Hastings police asking me to attend a meeting urgently.

The climate of this meeting was completely different from previous ones, with the chief inspector stating the police wanted good PR – to be seen to be supporting the public and to be involved. He introduced Inspector Roger Hyde, and he spelled out what the Police would require in the form of road closures, marshalling, awareness and publicity. This was agreed, and has stood for four decades since.

I was then able to go immediately to the town hall and state that police permission had been given. Hastings Council also gave the go-ahead.

The real work on the event could now start for the first one, on Sunday, March 17.

It was important to obtain as much commercial sponsorship, and this was not easy. The Hastings Observer, Anglia Building Society and Newtime Foods came forward locally, but the search continued for a major sponsor.

This was resolved thanks to an advert in a running magazine for ‘Arrow Shoes’. I phoned them and although at first blocked from speaking to the marketing director, I said ‘Tell him this is Hastings… the Battle of Hastings… the arrow’. It worked, and Arrow could immediately see the benefit of sponsoring the event.

Soon the council saw the potential for promoting Hastings and became a major supporter, which helped bring the best runners from across the world to Hastings.

The first race raised £5,000 for an eye laser appeal and a lot more for other causes. Over time it has raised over £10m for charity. No wonder it was voted the best half marathon in the UK by Runners World.

HY RUNNERS

In a good week for HY Runners, David Weir competed in the 5,000m men’s wheelchair finals at the 15th Fazza international athletics championships.

Weir’s time was 9:13.83, a personal best and enough for a silver medal in the Dubai event.

The Fazza games were started in 2009 by the Dubai Club of People for Determination, under the Crown Prince of Dubai.

Weir also competed in the T54 1,500m Dubai 2024 Grand Prix, coming in at 2:54.02 for another silver medal.

Weir won six gold medals across the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games and has also broken the course record at the Great North Run three times, with his best time being 41:19 in 2018.

Closer to home, the East Sussex Cross Country League was back in action at Blackcap near Lewes on a wet morning.

With great views for runners over the South Downs, Stuart Piper, Jonathon Hatch and Mark Wilson competed the muddy senior men’s course.

The senior course is 4.8 miles long over the Downs and back to the meadow.

Meanwhile in the junior race, which is a 1.2-mile loop of the meadow, Beth, Jessica, Ellen Gates and Michael all had a great time.

This Sunday Cross Country League runs from October to March.

There are six events in total at different venues across the area.

The next cross country event locally is at Pett on Sunday, March 10.

- BEN JONES

HASTINGS AC

It's been a busy few weeks for Hastings AC – indoors and out.

The transition on to the track has seen a few club athletes testing their legs at indoor events.

Steve Baldock, at the British Masters Indoor at Lee Valley. won two medals, taking third place in the 800m (2.08.14) and second in the 400m (56.86).Martyn Reynolds came away with second place in his weaker event, the 200m so was very happy.He had to pull out of the 400m through injury, which was disappointing.

Jo Body competed in the 200m, ending seventh in 32.58. She said she found her first indoor event tough, dealing with the slope. She was disappointed with the outcome but optimistic about the season.

Hastings AC’s Rae Le Fay competed at an indoor BMC event incorporated into the Ayo Falkland Dream Mile at Lee Valley.

It was a fantastic event with many elite runners attempting record-breaking times.

Le Fay was in a chaotic 800m heat which was a challenge to navigate considering she'd only ever run in an indoor event a few days before, but she claimed first place in an exciting finish.

The last Sussex League Cross Country was on a new course at Glynbourne – beautiful surroundings but a challenging course with a beast of a hill, rabbit holes and deep puddles.

Cobey Buckley made impressive improvements throughout the race coming in as 15th U13 and his brother Caleb was 17th.

Bella Taylor was 17th in the U11 girls and Rosie Fergeson came in the top 20 and still had plenty of energy to cheer on Rae Le Fay, who, back on form, was second with a near-on 30-second lead and finished third overall in the final league standings.Things are ramping up in training for marathons, the much anticipated Hastings Half and track and field events for the youth groups through to the veterans.

If you'd like to have professional track, field, road or cross county coaching, and take advantage of the free trials and reasonable membership and fully qualified coaching the club offer, email membership@Hastings athleticclub.co.uk

CHLOE LE FAY