Sussex Athletics Masters Cross Country Championship

THE SUSSEX Athletics Masters Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday the 22nd January 2022. The location was Coombe Farm, Lancing at a natural forming bowl on the downlands. Under the Sussex Athletics banner the event was attended by athletics clubs from across Sussex.

 There were three planned races starting with the Masters Men over 50, over 60 and over 70 at 13:00. Followed by the Masters Women, over 35, over 45, over 55 and over 65 at 13:40. The final race of the day was the Masters men – over 40 at 14:25. All races were made up of two 2.5 mile loops with a five mile course overall.

This is a beautiful course in the East Sussex downland countryside. The race starts on a short flat course before rising slowing over the course of a mile to the top of the bowl with an accent of approximately. 400 feet.   To the side of a cattle grid, it then starts to go downhill and turns right around the bottom of a field before starting to rise again arcing back to the cattle grid. At the grid you begin an amazing long swooping down hill section that takes back to either the second lap or the finish.

Harrier’s Emma Singer had an amazing run in the vet women’s over 35’s race to finish in second place and winning a silver medal.   She also finished third overall in the whole race!  It was Emma’s first cross country race for the Harriers club.   The over 35’s women’s team also won the gold medal in the team event. The team comprising of Emma Singer, Gemma Morgan and Carys Hind.

In the over 45 women’s race the Harrier ladies finished fourth in the team event, led home by Lins Blain in eleventh place.   Marion Hemsworth also won an individual medal when she came a super second place in the women’s over 65’s race.

 In the men’s race, Jamie Topping finished in seventh place overall.   A super result as it was also Jamie’s first ever cross country race.   The over 40’s men finished in fourth place.   In the over 50’s, the Harrier men finished in eighth place overall led home by Tim Miller in twelfth place.   A big congratulations to the Harrier’s over 60’s men who won Bronze, with Tim Hicks, Carl Bicknell and Mark Sykes.