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At Barns Green Harriers had top results with many fine performances achieved on the day.Jamie Topping finished in second place in the five kilometres race in seventeen minutes and forty-eight seconds.

James Skinner also had a great race and finished in second place in the ten kilometres race out of six hundred and six finishers. He also set a new Harrier age record in the veterans men's fifty age group with a new club record of thirty-three minutes and fifty-two seconds.

In the half marathon, the harriers had six runners in the first twenty. There were six hundred and fifty-two finishers in the race.

Harriers at Barns Green: L-R: James Bennett, Sarah Hamilton, Caroline Gumm, Matt Cook, Ben Duncan | Picture courtesy of Haywards Heath Harriers

Ben Gibson leading the club home in fourth place in seventy-five minutes and twenty-five seconds.

Rachel Overton was the first Harrier lady to finish in the half marathon in a personal best time of one hour and thirty-eight minutes and ten seconds.

Other Harriers who got personal bests at Barns Green in the half marathon were:James Moffat, Pete Francis, Will Roberts, Gray Wilkinson and Sue Lindsley.

Barns Green 10km results:

Harriers at Barns Green | Picture courtesy of Haywards Heath Harriers

2nd James Skinner 33:52; 124th Ian Tomkins 50:14; 215th Richard Jobling 55:08; 344th Sarah Hamilton 58:52; 423rd Caroline Mackey-Khursheed 62:24; 425th Caroline Gumm 62:29; 519th Sarah Heron-Smith 67:44.

Barns Green Half Marathon results:

4th Ben Gibson 75:25; 6th Ian Kenton 78:37; 9th Matt Cook 80:18; 13th Michael Priest 80:49; 14th Ben Duncan 81:17; 17th James Moffat 85:30 (pb); 22nd Pete Francis 86:16 (pb); 31st Matt King 87:29; 40th James Bennett 88:13; 42nd Greg Hilton 88:28; 53rd Will Roberts 90:15 (pb); 81st James Booth 95:14; 84th Simeon Wishlade 95:33; 104th Rachael Overton 98:10 (pb); 111th Paul Cousins 98:54; 112th Ellen Robinson 98:46; 149th David Harper 1hr 42:38; 160th Lindsey Blain 1 hr 44:03; 192nd Mark Davies 1 hr 48:09; 213th Gray Wilkinson 1 hr 49:17 (pb); 259th Ian Dumbrell 1 hr 52:44; 263rd Sue Lindsley 1 hr 53:03 (pb); 545th Michael Parish 2 hrs 23:52.

Cross-Country

Harriers ladies at the Sussex XC Relays at Goodwood | Picture courtesy of Haywards Heath Harriers

The new cross country season began at Goodwood on the Saturday 30th September with the Sussex Cross-Country Relay Championships.

The return to cross-country brought out many Harriers teams with the Harriers excelling themselves by winning three team medals in the vet men’s section with two silver and one bronze team medals.

The athletes were racing over the cross-country course which had been set up across the road from the Goodwood Racecourse venue. The race distances ranging from about a mile up to two and-and-a-half miles depending on age.

Results

Harriers at Great Walstead 5: L- R Chris Faulkner, James Buckeridge, Gray Wilkinson, Bryan Tiller | Picture courtesy of Haywards Heath Harriers

U13 Girls race: 9th HHH 36.23 (Molly-Ann Clarke 11.51; Sophie Turton 12.37; Olivia Turton 11.55).

Women V35: 4th HHH 52.10 (Siobhan Amer 16.59; Kim Lo 16.52; Gemma Morgan 18.19).

Women V45: 7th HHH 59.59 (Caroline Mackey-Khursheed 20.51; Shelagh Robinson 20.18; Jacqueline Barnes 18.50).

HHH 56.17 (incomplete team): Jayne Brewer 17.53; Sarah Hamilton 19.00; Jayne Brewer 21.46.

Senior Men race: 10th HHH 58.51 (Michael Priest 12.58; Oliver Fyfe 13.22; Marcus Kimmins 13.42; James Buckeridge 18.49).

Men V40: 3rd HHH ‘A’ team 53.53 (Matt King 13.53; James Moffat 13.39; Jamie Topping 12.43; Michael Burke 13.38).

Men V40 :7th HHH 'B’ team 70.32 (Simon Robinson 15.12; Ian Dumbrell 17.20; Carl Bicknell 20.02; Josh Franks 17.58).

Men V50: 2nd HHH 62.25 (Tim Miller 14.51; Julian Boyer 15.15; Bryan Tiller 16.26; Chris Faulkner 15.53).

Men V60: 2nd HHH 46.22 (Paul Cousins 15.08; Tim Hicks 16.08; Mark McLoughlan 15.06).

West Sussex Fun Run League

Great Walstead 5

On Sunday the 8th October was the Harriers’ own Great Walstead 5.

This cross-country race was part of the West Sussex Fun Run League. The race was held in the grounds of the Great Walstead School near Lindfield and was organised by Haywards Heath Harriers.

With many Harriers marshalling and helping out with many other duties on the day, the Harriers were still able to get a few runners out to run the race.

The Great Walstead 5 – results:

Men: 1st Michael Daly (Horsham Joggers) 32:24; 2nd Mikeey Kwoka (Chichester Runner) 32:59; 3rd Simon Perkins (Horsham Joggers) 33:35.

Women: 1st Rosie Gasson (Fittleworth Flyers) 38:00; Natalie Haarer (Chichester Runner) 38:18; 3rd Kirsty Phillpot (Burgess Hill Runner) 38:53.

Harriers results were:

32nd Greg Hilton 38.02; 35th Dave Adams 38.36; 49th Chris Faulkner 39.47; 79th Bryan Tiller 42.36; 84th Julie Kamel 43.19; 95th Richard Caddy 44.03; 97th Gray Wilkinson 44.10; 145th James Buckeridge 47.54; 182nd Mark Songi 51.41; 263rd Rupert Purchase 73.37; 269th James Smyth 80.20 (tail runner).

In the Junior race, the results were:

Boys: 1st Paul Nixon (Saints & Sinners) 5:50; 2nd Ben Farmer (Haywards Heath Harriers) 6:28, 3rd Noah Ridley (Steyning AC) 6:44.

Girls: 1st Elsie Williams (Haywards Heath Harriers) 6:54; 2nd Emily Hilton St Pauls 7:11; 3rd Mabel Ridley (Steyning AC) 7:29.

Harriers results:

2nd Ben Farmer 6:28; 4th Marcos Selby 6:49; 8th Elsie Williams 6:54; 11th Rohan Barnes 7:21; 14th Olivia Turton 7:49; 15th Lara Morris 7:49; 16th Sophie Turton 7:50; 17th Jack Diack 7:55; 18th Daniel Carter 7:56; 19th Evie Hilton 7:57; 20th Isaac Farmer 7:57; 22nd Coco Rhodes 8:14; 23rd Indigo Rhodes 8:24; 31st Luke Diack 9:50.

Running is good for your health. Why not try parkrun?

Absolutely, running can be a fantastic way to improve your physical and mental health. Parkrun is a great initiative that encourages people of all ages and fitness levels to participate in free, timed 5k runs in local parks and open spaces. It's a wonderful way to get active, enjoy the outdoors, and meet fellow runners in your community. Parkrun events are not competitive, and they emphasize the social and inclusive aspects of running.

There are many benefits to trying parkrun, including:

1 Improved Physical Fitness: Regular running can help improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and endurance.

2 Mental Well-being: Running can reduce stress and anxiety and boost mood, thanks to the release of endorphins.

3 Community and Social Interaction: Parkrun events provide a friendly and supportive atmosphere, fostering a sense of belonging and social connection.

4 Motivation: The regular timing of parkrun events can serve as a motivating factor to maintain a consistent running routine.

5 Variety: Each parkrun course is different, offering variety and a change of scenery.

6 Accessibility: Parkrun is open to people of all fitness levels, so you can run, jog, walk, or volunteer if you prefer.

If you're looking to improve your health and enjoy the benefits of running in a welcoming and non-competitive environment, trying out a parkrun event is an excellent idea. You can find a local parkrun event near you on the official Parkrun website and join the community of runners.

Haywards Heath Harriers in flying form at Barns Green and Goodwood