WSFRL: Trundel View 5 mile race

 

HOSTED by Chichester Runners and Athletics Club the next run in the West Sussex Fun Run League (WSFRL) took place on the 25^th May 2022.   Members from the counties athletics clubs converged for a 5 mile trails race around the forest surrounding Glorious Goodwood. 

The League is made of 17 athletics clubs who each hold one run per year, each ranging from 5 miles to 10km.   Giving athletes 17 runs over a total distance of 85 miles.   Each is a very different and unique experience and is open to both affiliated and non-affiliated athletes.

The routed started outside of Goodwood across a field before entering the woods. Once there athletes had to complete two loops (each loop just under 4km) of the trails, before heading back across the fields to the finish line.   The route is best described as undulating with a number of continuous hills.

 Haywards Heath Harriers had some great results with Philip Scott first Harriers across the finish line.   I ws the second Harrier having a great race with fellow Harrier Sarah Hamilton.   Sarah was in front of me for the first loop, but I gained the upper hand on the second loop with just three seconds between us.

This was a great location and great race.   Will definantly have this one on my list for next year, even though it's the furthest run in the league from The Heath. 

Lindfield 10km - King Edward Hall

SUNDAY 22nd May 2022 was the date for the return of the Lindfield Village Run.   Having been missing from the Mid Sussex running diary for the last two years, it was good to see it return in spectacular style.

This is the fourth time I have entered the Lindfield Village Run which is a well-established event setting out two cross county runs: a 10k Village Run and a 5k Family Fun Run.   Both take place mostly on paths and tracks through the West Sussex countryside in the immediate vicinity of the village of Lindfield.   It has often been described as an old fashioned cross-country run with plenty of multi-terrain, some slippery surfaces, and the odd cow in fields!

Once again I entered the 10km course which is a tough course from roads, to trail and then across country. Athletes have to run stairs that take them up hills and down the other side to multiple bridges, even to the point jumping streams. It's a beautiful and unique run and takes in the sights of Ardingly Resevouir and College. 

Some of the route you can only run if you enter the event as it goes across private property and you need permission to do it.   I ran a part of it recently, but it was quite dangerous with a lot of exposed tree roots (this is where I had my accident recently) and a number of trees down.   I felt I spent a little time trying to climb over trees instead of running.   But that's the fun of going off road!   Lindfield had to alter the route accordingly, but it's a route they have used before and I was familiar with.

You walk away from Lindfield always feeling proud of your achievement and feeling that is was professionally organised from the start to the finish with plenty of marshalls out in the fields (quite literally).

I feel I should offer my apologies to fellow Haywards Heath Harrier, Ben, (left on the photo opposite).   He had not done the run before and asked, "Can you get lost?".   "No," I said, "It's really well marshalled and if I don't get lost then you have nothing to worry about."   Turns out he was in front, took a wrong turn (someone standing in front of the signpost) and went the wrong way for a while.   He still came second, great work.

Welcome back Lindfield.

 

 

Freetrain - Hydro 1

I AM A big fan of the Freetrain vest, but the Hydro One takes the designed and makes it more useable.   If you already have a vest and thinking about buying the Hydro One then then these are the points that stood out for me.

The vest is wider with two distict sides, the first side is the same as the Freetrain vest and allows you to hold your mobile phone also, and important to me, a debit card and small amount of cash.   The ability to make contact and be able to get home if you have a mishap is paramount, especially if you are going off road.

Recently I was running down hill and tripped on a tree route, I literally took off and came down hard on the ground.   Grounding on my forearms, chest and knees for the first time I had to call Mrs. 50+ and get her to pick me up.   I didn't walk for two days due to the pain.   I was off road, but had the ability to make contact or get a taxi home.

The other side gives you a flexible water bottle (included in the price), not something I normally worry too much about, but the good weather is now here and running off road having some water is essential.   The bottle is on your chest and the Freetrain vest does not "bounce" when you run, it's so well designed that you forget it's there.   How do you bring the two sides together?   With a zip up the middle which is brilliant, no more pulling it on/off over your head, adjustments to the straps just became easier.

It still has two pouches on the shoulder straps for gels or car keys, but the zip up one has gone (pity as I felt this was great for key security when running), but there are velcro straps, so your keys are not going anywhere.

There is so much more going on with Hydro One that make it worth the investment and to top it off there is a pouch on the back for other lightweight things.   Highly recommended for training runs, especially when going off road for shorter distances (13 miles), but for ultras you probably need to carry more water and another produce is needed for higher amount of water.

Run Gatwick Half Marathon 2022

WITH THE end of lockdown and things returning to a new normal Run Gatwick opened it's doors to their half marathon on Sunday May 8th, with a new start/finish line and route.

The first run took place at Southgate Park, Crawley on the 31st October 2018 and ran for two years. Like many events it had to shut it's doors due to the COVID pandemic and reopened in 2022 for it's third event, excluding virtual runs.

Starting at the Gatwick Aviation Museum the route went past the end of the runway, at the point aircraft were coming in low and landing. Running the Lowfield Heath Road to the side of the runway the route came back on itself to the end of the runway before turning down to Ifieldwood. Running down to Rusper and back to the museum in a large loop and couple of run backs.

The new route brought the race to Gatwick, with most of the run being directly below the flight path. During the run you could feel the road vibrate with the power of the aircraft engines coming into land, an amazing run experience and great new route.

I was coming back from an injury caused by running down hill and missing a tree root that, literally, sent me flying. All of which seems very apt for Run Gatwick.   I didn't get the time I wanted but was really pleased I entered and enjoyed the run, right up to the point my right calf decided to seize on me.

I am now thinking back over the run and looking forward to Run Reigate which takes place in September (see Race Diary on the tabs above for full details).   It's good to see that Run Reigate have evolved taking on Gatwick and now a 10km trails run at Gatton Point on the north end of Redhill.

I did the inaugral Run Reigate Trains at the beginning of the year and it was so successful they are running it again in the summer.   Gatton Point is beautiful and it's worth thinking about this challenging run.

Queens Baton Relay

THE QUEENS Baton Relay was launched from Buckingham Palace on October 7th, 2021. It's set to travel the lenth and breadth of England for a total of 29 days, before culminating at the Open Ceremony for Birmingham 2022 on 28th July.

As a tradition, Her Majesty The Queen places a message inside the Baton which will be read out at the Opening Ceremony. Starting on the 2nd June, the Baton will spend four days in London, coinciding with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Weekend.

For the 2022 event Haywards Heath Harrier Michael Parish was nominated as a Baton Bearer as part of the relay across the South East. The nominations came from the Emergency Services for the work he had done with mental health and starting a learn to run group for workers who had a sedintary role answer emergency and non-emergency calls.