Run Your Heart Out with Crawley Run Crew 8km

SUNDAY 13^th February 2022 saw Crawley Run Crew host their “Run Your Heart Out” 8km endurance run. This was the second run of the season in the West Sussex Fun Run League calendar taking place in Tilgate forest/park over an multi terrain course.

(L-R): Jack Chivers, Eric Hepburn, Rupert Purchase, Carys Hind, Andy Hind, Katherine Buckeridge, Marion Hemsworth, Abby Redd,
Caroline Gumm, James Smyth, Michael Parish, Richard Bates and Dave Warren.

The League is comprised of 17 athletics clubs over Sussex with each club hosting one event over the year. This equates to a massive 17 races over 85 miles. Run Your Heart Out was Crawley Run Crew’s inaugural run in the League and what a run they had planned!

Starting from K2 Leisure Centre the route went around the 400m track, along the side of the car park into the forest. The run wound around the forest before taking a turn into Crawley Park heading past the Tilgate Nature Centre and up towards the Smith and Western tavern. Running downhill athletes did a three quarter run of the large lake before being turned around and sent back via the forest to the second lake. This led to the last stretch home around the forest before completing one last lap of K2’s 400m track.

The run is multi terrain with an undulating course as it goes from concrete footpaths around the Nature Centre, around the lakes and the velvety smooth footpaths through the forests. The course has something for everybody and some real challenges to complete the required 8km.

Haywards Heath Harriers had some star performances with Andy Hind, Dave Warren and Jack Chivers chasing down the front runners and completing the course in a great time. This was the first event by Caroline Gumm who did an excellent run and managed to achieve her PB for an 8km course.

 

The Mid Sussex Times coverage written by me.