Ardingly Village 8km Fun Run

SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER saw the annual Ardingly 8km Fun Run and Village Fete.   Open to all runners this was a good old fashioned cross country run taking in the famous resevouir.

 

Beetroot Army.
I am not in this photo as I had to shoot off to work.

The course started at the Ardingly Recreational Ground and ran along the footpath up past the South of England Showground and the Gardeners Arms pub before turning left at the end of the village.   It then went cross country in a large loop back to the start.

This is a beautiful route that, once off the road, feels easy going, until you realise that you are running for a long period of time downhill!    What goes down eventually must go up and this run does just that.   There are two majestic hills involved in the run that test your stamina.  

The first starts just after the wooden bridge that links the route with Ardingly Reservoir and goes up a single track footpath before slowly starting to come round again.   The second is part way round the Reservoir when you turn left going up the footpath past the fields.

The course was checked earlier in the day with no issues but there was an unexpected hornet swarm on the second part of the reservoir path which resulted in the race being diverted for some of the runners.   Organisers thanked local runner Philip Kelly for his initiative in leading other runners a safer way and foregoing his own race.   They also expressed their utmost thanks to first aider Melissa Byers, all the other marshals and the ambulance service who came to the aid of their allergic runner and brave tail runner Steve Kemsley who also got badly stung.

Haywards Heath Harriers results: Chris Smith 28:31; Time Miller 34:59; Mat Quinton 41:25; Ian Dumbrell 41:52; Gemma Morgan 43:40; Theresa Mockridge 44:56; Andrew Wilson 45:48; Carl Bicknell 47:04; Michael Parish 51:12; H. Johnson 59:30.

Brighton Phoenix 10km

WEDNESDAY 10th JULY heralded the Brighton Phoenix 10km run.   This is an important run for members of the Harriers as it is the third race of the season that contributes to the Bill Page awards.

Race bib

The extremely well-marshalled course runs from Hove Lawns along the promenade, through the industrial area and out past Shoreham Power Station where it turns around at the 5km mark and heads back to the finish line.   It forms part of the course for the Brighton Marathon and is notorious for runners achieving personal best times as the course is relatively flat and fast.

The run was attended by runners from the many affiliated running clubs across Sussex as well as other running club and non club runners.   The Harriers turned up in force and all ran a fast paced race with everybody achieving under one hour on their personal chip times.   For the first time I managd to achieve a sub 1 hour 10km run.   Happiness is this!

Haywards Heath Harriers Team

There were two incidents during the run the first came from a man who was possibly homeless who was shouting obsenities and racist comments at us.   I think he hated everybody and we were the closest for him to rant at.   The second was the strong smell of cannabis on one section of the run.   Maybe that explains the PB!

A full “debrief” was held with Harriers and other club members at The Brunswick free house after the event.   It's a really nice pub and live music venue, but the beer was running out very quickly!

Full debrief with beer on tap at the Brunswick Free House, Hove

Redwood Run - Sheffield Park National Trust

Race bib

WEDNESDAY 3rd JULY 2019 was the inaugural Redwood Run at Sheffield Park National Trust property in Maresfield.   The event, hosted by Haywards Heath Harriers, was managed by Marion Hemsworth and Ian Dumbrell and run under England Athletics rules.   Sheffield Park is the second Sussex National Trust property to host running events with the Harriers already having the Willows as an established run at Wakehurst Place (part of Kew Gardens) in Ardingly.

Sheffield Park race map

The run was attended by the majority of the 18 England Athletics registered running clubs across Sussex as well as other clubs and unaffiliated runners.   The route started from the front entrance to Sheffield Park Gardens and went around fields before entering the bottom of the National Trust property.    It went around the cricket pitch and towards the lakes before coming up to the main exit for the park and gardens then turning back towards the bottom exit and back across the fields to the finish line.

The run was a real test of ability and muscle endurance running on grass, asphalt, flint and woodchip surfaces.    Along the way there were field and kissing gates to get through and small bridges that elevated the runners above the areas being protected for wildlife.   As with any National Trust property it was beautiful and scenic and a joy to run through.

Haywards Heath Harriers Team Photo

The return run caught me out as I approached one of the field gates.   A sneaky tree root tripped me up and I hit the ground quite hard.   A marshall came running over to make sure I was OK and was pleased it wasn't a serious medical emergency as she didn't know what to do with those!   Few grazes across my knees and right shoulder.    So I brushed myself off and completed the run.

With luck with will be become an established run for the Harriers and be as successful as Wakehurst.