What on earth was I doing here? After spending 4 of the last 6 weeks out of the
country and in as diverse places as France, USA, Dubai (momentarily) and the Philippines, my last week was spent in an hotel gym each morning in Manila,in extreme humidity despite air-con. Staging through Dubai on Friday it was 35c and sunny……I could feel the heat through the glass of the air bridge as I swapped aeroplanes. And then, the sudden, sodden, realisation that I was home, and this was autumn. Waking up to persistent drizzle, that hardened to persistent rain. What a lovely day for getting out and running. I confess, as I waited wetly under a tree opposite the grandstand at Hickstead Showground, that I swore a bit. What was I doing here (you’ve already said that, get on with it-Ed). Top marks to Brian B and Rosie who also braved the weather, and I’m sure I glimpsed
Alan Barwick on the course too! Who said Fun Runs had to be Fun! This is one of those courses that is difficult to pin down, as it’s a bit of everything, made more extreme by the weather. Multi-terrain, ranging from long grass, muddy wet puddles, slippery short grass, and stony trails…..it isn’t flat (433 feet of ascent) though not exactly ‘hilly’ (undulating would be a good description). The course sort of spirals out, meaning you repeat going through the start multiple times, the laps getting longer each time as you loop further away. It’s teasing, you’re never sure if THIS time it’s the Finish, which when it comes is a pleasant and sudden (sodden!) surprise. I’m glad I did it, “welcome
home and suck it up, it gets worse from here in”, appeared to be the message. I got it, right, I got it!
Results:
42:20 – Alan Barwick
46:27 – Paul Crowe
52:05 – Michael Dee
1:08:03 – Brian Bracey
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