Eastbourne and Hastings athletes in flying form – from South Downs to Lanzarote

EASTBOURNE ROVERS

Perfect cross country running conditions marked the third Sussex Cross Country League fixture – and more than 600 athletes completed the nine races at the idyllic Stanmer Park, Brighton.

In the under-13 boys' race, Byron Roberts started conservatively on the first lap but showed great judgement in closing on the leading athletes on the second larger lap, finally surging into second place, his best ever finish in the league.

He was well supported by Joshua Webster who held on for eighth, a solid performance after recovering from illness, and Archie Franklin with another consistent performance in 12th, giving the A team second place behind a very strong Brighton and Hove team.

Jacob Edleston and Jackson Walker gained further valuable experience in this high standard of competition, finishing 35th and 44th respectively.In the under-13 girls' race, Chyna Wai placed 19th and Grace Luford-Brown 34th.

Ada Messer and Poppy Charlwood, Eastbourne's youngest competitors, ran well to finish 28th and 33rd in the under-11 girls' race.

A seasoned athlete with a fine win, already scoring enough points to be crowned individual league winner, was under-15 Freda Pearce (Eastbourne).

She crossed the line an impressive 33 seconds ahead of Brighton & Hove’s Julieana Walsh in second.

Eastbourne teammates Raya Petrova ran strongly (8th) and Chae Wai 28th contributed to them placing 3rd team.

It was a different story in the under-15 boys’ race where a different athlete has won each of the three fixtures.

Eastbourne’s Fin Lumber-Fry pushed the field from the gun, but it was Chichester’s Ben Stewart’s turn to be victorious finishing ahead of Jacob Trotman (Lewes) and Lumber-Fry in third.

Eastbourne were team winners on the day ahead of Lewes by two points, with teammates Thomas Petherick fifth and George Armstrong-Smith eighth making up the result.

New face on the block Samuel Stapley (second claim Brighton Phoenix), romped home in first in the under-17 men’s race with Finlay Goodman (Brighton & Hove) second and Eastbourne’s Fintan Pearce continuing his purple patch this season in a strong third. Eastbourne’s Ilya Korchev ran well in seventh.

The senior men's race saw further improvement from Luke Tomsett who started just inside the top 30 and worked his way through the field to an excellent 15th.

James Stephen ran strongly to finish 27th overall and sixth under-20, his best position so far this season.

They were backed up by Stuart Pelling (51st), Marco Royes (97th) and Luke Regan (118th) giving the team fourth place in Division 2.

The ever growing women’s veteran team were back at the top, seven points ahead of Brighton & Hove.

Eastbourne’s first athlete home was Jenny Brown, second in the V45 category (and 13th in the women’s race). Liz Lumber won the V55 age category, Sue Fry was fourth V45, Heather Jenner eighth V35, Katie Arnold tenth V35, Flick Webster 17th V45 and Anna Chaplin 19th V45.

The indoor athletics season started with an open meeting at the Lee Valley Athletic Centre.

This is the nearest indoor 200m track to Eastboutrne so a few Eastbourne Rovers athletes made the journey to test out their speed.

Under-15 Kristi Pritti contested two 60m races.

In the first, competing against older athletes she ran a fast 8.34 secs.

She then improved this to a fantastic 8.30 in the second round to give her 4th place overall in the U15 age group.

Although it is early days this ranks her 11th in the south east.

For U17 Oscar Mizen and U15 Stanley Atkins, it was their first time running indoors on the banked 200m track, which often produces slower times – but they both took it in their stride.Oscar ran a strong first lap and held on to second place until the last few metres when he was pipped on the line.

His time of 38.6 seconds was only three off his personal best and placed him fourth U17 overall which is a great achievement as he has just moved into that age group.

Stanley had to tackle the outside lane having to adjust to the camber. He hung onto fourth place finishing strongly in a great new time of 43.38.

Rovers are now back in training looking forward to more competitions after Christmas.

HASTINGS RUNNERS

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – as the old saying goes.

For Hastings Runners, when the Club Championship and Sussex Grand Prix series end, make tracks further afield.

In terms of miles from Hastings, Susan Rae took the honours, running the Lanzarote 10k in at time of 52min 57secs.

Without the need for air travel, Allan Payne completed the Goodwood Half Marathon in 1.50, but running almost as far as Goodwood in the Hurtwood 50k Ultra in Dorking were Jacqueline Mannering, Pete Heasman and Darren Kilby, who battled tough and muddy conditions to complete the 32-mile route with a smile.

Ever so slightly closer to Hastings was the Sussex Downs Half Marathon, held at Plumpton, attracting Richard Towner-Roethe who finished just 18 seconds over the two-hour mark.

Also running the Half in the green and black of HR were Charlie Bowley (2.10:35), Rob Thomas (2.26:19), Kelly DeRosa (2.40:17) and Nick Attwood (2.40:18).

Meanwhile, Claire Thomas entered the 12.5k at the same venue and finished seventh as first female in 1.05:52.

Much closer to home, and over the more modest distance of 5k, spare a thought for anyone who got out of bed for a seafront run in the rain and gales last Saturday.

So well done to Finlay Garlick who came first in the town’s 377th parkrun in a conditions-defying time of 18:52 – and to Christine Sanderson, placed first overall in the age-graded listings while topping her VW80-84 age group.

A week earlier Andy Knight completed the Santa Dash 5k in Bexhill in rather better weather – but encumbered by fancy dress.

HR therefore salutes him as the region’s third fastest Father Christmas!

Hastings Runners welcome new members of all abilities aged 12 and over for fun, training and competitive running. Visit https://www.hastingsrunners.co.uk