No other Sussex runner has contested more Sussex League races than Chichester’s James Baker nor won as many League titles and he did it again at Lancing on Saturday.
No he did not repeat his victory at Plumpton before in November, in fact his third place was his lowest placing of the season but together with his run at Plumpton and his second place over the Lancing course he took his umpteenth League title with 6 points.
The League results was in fact the reverse of the placings on Saturday which saw Howard Bristow (Brighton & Hove) notch up his first event League victory steaming home in 28:31 comfortably clear of club mate Max Dumbrell who clocked 28:53 with Baker on 29:17 in third place.
Dumbrell totalled 7 points and Bristow 9 points.
Harry Leleu (Chichester’s) who was the first under 20 in his previous two league excursions this season was again the first U20 finisher and took the League title with minimum number of 3 points ahead of Jack Woods (Worthing) both on Saturday and in the League with 7 points.
In complete contract the senior women’s title went to a newcomer to the senior League, Joscelin Lowden from Lewes.
The actual race on Saturday was a run-a-way for Martha Coyle (Brighton & Hove), who had won the first race at Goodwood back in October. Coyle however is still in the Under 17 age group and had missed all the important races in the past five weeks though illness yet bounced back to race away from the field at Lancing Manor to win in 19:29 while Lowden was next across the line in 20:06.
Lowden was a highly promising youngster for the Lewes Club several years back but now back in local competition she has had a fine season and duly won the senior title with 6 points.
Running into third place in the race but second place in the U17 League behind Coyle, who had already made certain of the title before the end of the year, was Sophie Markwick Hastings who clocked 20:19 while local girl Brittany Saville finished fourth at “The Manor” and second in the senior League with 8 points.
The U20W title went to Worthing’s India Spoor who scored 4 points to Brighton & Hove’s Phoebe Connolly’s 9 points.
The U17M title went to another Chichester athlete Casey Keates who victory on Saturday in 18:20 assured him of the crown with 6 points ahead of Ollie Johnson (Phoenix) who second place on Saturday lifted him to second place in the League on 7 points.
Hastings youngsters Joe Body and George Pool were both victorious in their Under 15 and Under 13 races respectively and retained their unbeaten records this season and take their League title on just three points.
Ben Collins (Chichester) took the League silver medal on 6 points in the U15 group and Ethan Fincham (Worthing) the silver in the U13 groups, also on 6 points.
Almi Nerurkar (Phoenix) notch up her third League victory of the season to win the U15 girls race in 16.29 to take that title ahead of Crawley Jade Dancaster who scored 5 points and the U13 girls saw Harmony Cooper (Hastings) saw take a fine victory in 12:04. She has to thank her club mate Olivia White, who squeezed Chichester’s Olivia Wiseman into third place to make certain of the League title as well scoring 4 points to the Chichester girl’s 5 points.
In the various Master’s age groups Alissa Ellis to the W35 title with 5 points, Jane Harrop the W45 crown with 3 points and Chris Naylor the W55 title with 3 points.
Neil Smith (Crawley) took the M40 title on 3 points, Paul Cousins (Haywards Heath) the M50 title on 3 points and Paul Whelpton (Phoenix) the M60 crown, like the others on 3 points.