Hastings and Eastbourne athletes show skills in the mud, on the road – and in Japan

HASTINGS AC

Hastings AC runners have been out and about testing themselves in a range of events – and the good old mud of cross country has occupied some.

Four HAC youngsters have been selected to join the Sussex athletics track and field development group.

Lucienne Simkiss-Day, Olivia Henham, Zac Roache and a Katie Cole will represent Hastings.

Two sessions in, they seem to be gaining a lot of experience and are enjoying the camaraderie and county team spirit.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

HAC’s Rae Le Fay tried her hand at her first indoor event in Lee Valley.

Hotly anticipating getting back on the track and out of the mud, it was a great joy for her to experiment indoors and feel the speed again.

It was an 800m and she ran the first heat in style, navigating the sloping lanes and short laps and coming through as the fastest of all the heats.

In the final a slight hesitation put her third for most of the race, the gap opening in the last lap but she closed the gap and hit the finish line within a hairs breath of secnd place.

The times of the winner and Le Fay – who is only 16 but running with U20s -were championship bests.

CHLOE LE FAY

HASTINGS RUNNERS

A couple of Hastings Runners made the trip to Amberley in West Sussex on Saturday to take on the Maverick Terrex 23k.

It's an energy sapping trail race over the South Downs with some tough hills and even a swamp near the end to negotiate.

Sally Grainger and Charles Bowley ran the race together completing the course in 2hr 25min with Sally winning the female 60 age category and she even beat everyone in the age category below her.

On Sunday a quality field took part in the Chichester 10k, an annual high-quality race now based at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Claire Thomas was the first Hastings Runner home in a new PB of 42.45, followed by Chris Hawkes in 44.51, Susan Rae in 49.57 and Sarah Marzaioli, who recorded her fastest time over the distance since 2018 breaking the sub hour mark in 58.46.

At the Bedgebury 5-mile race, Hastings Runners’ Adam Holland crossed the line in 57.46.

Second claimers Stuart Piper (1.05.41) and Joe Moore (1.23.09) took part in the ten-mile race.

At Bevendean parkrun, Will Withecombe beat the previous course record in the M35 category with a time of 18.24.

Closer to home at Hastings parkrun, Ashley Vora finished first with a new PB of 17.00.

Coming home third over the line was Matt Draper... who then went off to get married later in the day.

ANDY KNIGHT

HY RUNNERS

HY Runners have had a brilliant week.

On Sunday, Adam Clarke and British record holder Charlotte Purdue took on the Kagawa Marugame half marathon in Japan, which attracts more than 1,000 entrants.

The HY Runners duo finished in blistering times – 61:54 for Adam and 68:02 for Charlotte.

A training camp in Australia paid off as both achieved personal bests.

Flo Tewkesbury came home fifth for the Sussex schools cross country championships. Zion Okojie also put in a great effort to come home fifth.

It’s hoped they will qualify for the English schools cross country finals.

At the Chichester 10k, runners enjoyed the fast and flat course which takes runners around the iconic Goodwood Motor Circuit, with the start being at the main grandstand. It was the first of this year’s club championship races.

David Irvine was 20th in 32:09, Ben McCallion finished in 35:06, Carl Adams 35:29, Rachel Mulvey 37:39, Dan Isted 38:11, Jamie Webb 38:29, Benji Symes 39:57, Nicky Stiles 40:33 and Jimmy Sladden 44:04.

Elsewhere Stuart Piper came second at the Bedgebury 10-miler in 1:04.50.

Joe Moore finished in 1:23.09 and Sonny McKenzie 1:08.44.

Runners said it was a hard, muddy course with lots of undulating forest paths.

HY head coach Terry Skelton was thrilled with members’ running and was beaming with pride with the performances of Adam and Charlotte.

- BEN JONES

EASTBOURNE ROVERS

Eastbourne Rovers young athletes were in action at the U15/U17 London Indoor Games.

U17s Adam Churchyard and Honest Chinengundu tackled the 60m sprints. Honest sprinted into second place in his first race in 7.69sec. He found more strength at the finish in the next race to win in a faster time of 7.59.

Adam was pleased with his first experience of indoor competition improving his PB to 8.1 sec.

In the U15s, Stanley Atkins had to master the outside lane with a steep camber in his 300m, but got clear in second, smashing his PB by over a second to record 42.00

Nathan Burge had a brilliant start in the 60m and maintained first place in 7.59secs. In the second round he was up against the strongest sprinters in London and was fifth, showing great consistency with 7.6.

He drew the inside lane for his 200m and finished fifth, just off his best time with 24.6sec.

SUE KEEN