Some 1,300 line up for 10K road race

The 13th of the annual events is likely to attract another large field on the starting line at 10.30am on Sunday in West Park.

A warm-up session at 10am will be led by instructors from the Art of Dance and Fitness.

The race promises to be as successful as its predecessors for the participants and the spectators as well as the organisers at Bognor Hotham Rotary Club.

Chief sponsors are the Bognor Regis Observer. Other principal backers include county highways contractor May Gurney and Express Printing.

Bognor-based charity 4Sight has joined the Rotary club as its chosen charity partner with a free prize draw to boost the club's pledge to top up individual sponsorship by 25 per cent.

Most of the runners among the 1,529 entries are local and are taking part because they want to take on the personal challenge. Many of them are looking to raise money for their favourite good cause after more than 25,000 was raised by last year's race.

More than 120 clubs and groups will be represented in the race. The largest, again, will be the Tone Zone Runners from Arun Leisure Centre with 100 members running.

Chichester Runners are fielding 48 runners, Sixth Dimension at Westergate has 21 and Portsmouth 20.

Running clubs from all over the south east are sending representatives. Several firms are fielding teams as well.

Front runners to look out for include James Baker (number 189) of Chichester Runners, Will Clark (900) and Philip Sanger (877) from Epsom and Ewell Harriers Ed O'Brien (819) of Worthing Striders and David Taylor (787), from Blackheath and Bromley Harriers.

All are hoping to complete the race in about 31 minutes to claim the 200 course champion prize. They could clinch a further 200 if they break the 31min 6sec course record set by Matthew Normington in 2005.

Similar prizes are waiting for the women of which Becky Radford (1789) has estimated she will be matching the best of the men with a 31m finish.

Shona Crombie-Hicks (1801), of Winchester AC, and Newham and Essex Beagles' Jo Corbett (892) have put forward a 35min finishing time.

Julie Briggs, from Arena 80 RC, expects to finish in 36 mins.

All these times compare favourably with the female course record of 35min 19sec set by Jenny Anne Brown in 1999.

The number of entries for the race at 914 males and 615 females is just over a hundred down on last year.

But the Rotarians expect the turnout on the day '“ rain or shine '“ to match the best from previous years.

Rotary club president John Holman said: "The Bognor Hotham Rotary Club is proud to organise this great annual event for Bognor Regis.

"It will be a day of fun, challenge and satisfaction for everybody and will benefit many more.

"We have done all we can to make the event a success and just hope for no extremes of weather."

About 80 marshals will manage road junctions and the promenade to ensure the runners have a clear path. Occupiers of all properties which line the route from West Park over to Felpham and back again have been told the roads will close while the runners pass.

The race will pass through Felpham village between 10.45am and 11.15am. The runners will be seen in both directions along the seafront from 10.30am until about 11.45am. The route will re-open to traffic by noon.

As well as the main race, two popular junior fun runs will take place along the prom on Sunday. More than 140 entries have been received so far.

More are expected on the day. The 2 entry fee includes a medal.

The run for 12 to 14-year-olds starts from the seafront bandstand at 9.15am and follows a 1.5k route to Marine Drive West.

For those aged 8 to 11, the run covers 800m between the Royal Norfolk Hotel and Marine Drive West from 9.25am. Both times are 15 minutes earlier this year.

All the results, pictures and reports in this week's May 24 issue of the Bognor Regis Observer