Hastings athletes find form in Boston and Manchester – and on South Downs

David Weir is a seasoned athlete renowned for his prowess in the wheelchair race and his impressive performance earned him a well-deserved spot on the podium at the world-famous race.

He finished the Boston 5k in a remarkable time of 10:21 in the category of M44 wheelchair, coming second. He also competed in the 128th Boston Marathon, coming in third place in 1:22.12.

Closer to home, at the Kent Spring Half Marathon, Dave Maze surged to an impressive fifth place with a PB time of 1:24.17.

Maze's feat secured him a top spot in the highly competitive field and marked a significant milestone in his running career.

Todd-Fitz Hugh secured a commendable 19th place finish in a PB of 1:35:17.

Jason Johnstone came in at an excellent 101st place with 2:11.28.

The Kent Spring Half Marathon’s course is an undulating one, running through the villages of Charing and Westwell, with the last 1.5k being downhill.

Battling through the grueling 26.2-mile marathon route Sonny Mckenzie completed the tough two-lap course in a remarkable time of 4:22.00.

Manchester witnessed an awe-inspiring display of athleticism as Adam Clarke emerged victorious in the city's prestigious marathon in first place, crossing the finish line in a superb time of 2:16.29.

Clarke is a long serving member of HY AC and was joint winner of Hastings Half Marathon in 2023.

Clarke is the founder of Purdue Performance, a successful coaching outfit, and his parents David and Denise are active members of HY AC.

Head coach Terry Skelton said: “He has trained so hard, 130-miles-plus a week since the end of last year, and I was never in doubt that he would win. He is a fantastic athlete, well deserved.

"I am so pleased he won a such a big race with 32,000 runners in.”

Marshal Smith was spotted in the HY red in Manchester, and his time was 2:18.22, gaining second place.

HY’s Rachel Mulvey has firmly established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of women's marathon-running.

Manchester witnessed Mulvey's remarkable performance as she crossed the finish line in an impressive 11th overall in 3:05.27.

As the marathon season progresses, all eyes are on Mulvey as she gears up for future events.

She was ninth woman home in the 2024 Brighton Half Marathon.

In the marathon category, HY Runners showed that they are determined athletes all showing remarkable performances.

John Badrock was leading the pack with a time of 3:22.06, closely followed by Michael O’Callaghan at 3:34.07.

Hot on O’Callaghan’s heels was Nicky Stiles at 3:35.02 and rounding out the quartet of standout performers, Scott Richford finished in 3:45.02.

Badrock said: “Coach Terry set me a plan and I stuck to it, my first marathon and happy to come away with a HY club record for my age.”

HASTINGS RUNNERS

For five Hastings Runners in two different events, it was all about endurance. Speed would be a bonus, but it was about getting the miles done.

Jacqueline Mannering and Darren Kilby lined up among the 600 or so entrants for the 12th annual South Downs Way 50.

The course runs for an incredible 50 miles (81 km), mainly following the South Downs Way National Trail. The start is at the Hillbarn Recreation Ground in Worthing and the race finishes with a lap of the athletics track at Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne.

It’s a spectacular and scenic route but with 5,700 feet (1,750m) of elevation to climb, it’s not for the faint hearted. Among an international field, the two in the green and black of Hastings crossed the line at Eastbourne in 10hr 24min.

The following day, three more HRs took on the rather flatter Manchester Marathon – over the traditional “long” distance of 26.2 miles (42.2k).

The first of them home was John Simcox who crossed the finish line in a marathon personal best time of 3:43:43, followed by club members Joe Cruttenden (4:05:27) and Sarah Holmes (5:55:17).

Hastings Runners welcome new members of all abilities aged 12 and over for fun, training and competitive running.

Visit hastingsrunners.co.uk to find out more.