Some two hundred teams have entered the last of the Winter Season Sussex championships which are being held at Christ’s Hospital on Saturday.
The teams are spread over a range of age groups from the Under 13s to the Masters for both sexes but it is the U13s that start the racing at 11.00 and they will race over 3 laps of just over one mile.
The U15s will cover the same distance just half-an-hour later while the senior and veteran women start at 12.00 and they race will race over 3 x 2-mile plus.
The senior men start at 1.00 but they will cover 6 x 2-mile plus.
Currently the senior titles are held by Worthing & District Harriers, women, and Brighton Phoenix men and there is nothing to suggest that there will be a change in the title holders.
With two of the top Sussex women, Emma Macready and Leah Harris in their line-up Worthing should be able withstand any challenge from Arena 80, whose runners are likely to be split between their senior and veterans teams, and County Cross-country champions Brighton & Hove.
In the Men’s event although both Phoenix and County Cross-country champions Brighton & Hove will both be well below full strength Brighton have lost half their “A” team to the Manchester Marathon, and current number one Stephen Ferroni, will be with the England Junior training squad in Portugal.
This should leave it clear for Phoenix to notch up their sixth successive victory.
Kevin Rojas, Dimo Evangelidis and James Turner will be aiming for times between 2:20 to 2:40 in Manchester and may be in line for medals in the team event.