There was success for Sussex Masters athletes at Horspath on Saturday. Despite the rain of the previous week the ground was surprisingly firm. In a departure from last year's flattish course, this year there was a different course with several undulations to make for a more testing race
The women raced 6k. Arena's Julie Briggs was 2nd overall and took gold for 1st W45 in 24:16, Arena's Dani Tarleton took W45 bronze with 25:17. Six seconds behind her Arena's Tara Shanahan took 4th W45 slot. Even although all three runners are over 45 they took W40 team Gold for Arena.
In the W50-59 category Arena's Caroline Wood finished 4th overall and took gold for 1st W55 in 26:44. Team mates W55 Jackie Rymell (30:16) and W55 Jenny Hughes (30:51) gave a 4th place for Arena W50 team, a good result considering all three runners are over 55
In the men's Masters race run over 10k, M55 Paul Cousins (Haywards Heath Harriers) took 2nd M55 slot and silver in 35:08 and M65 Paul Whelpton (Phoenix) took 2nd M65 slot and silver in 38:32 with the Brighton Phoenix team including two M70s fifth in the M60 team event.
Alf Palmer walks
Encouraging number of youngsters at the annual Alf Palmer Memorial Track Races at Horsham, out of 39 walkers 23 of them were U23’s and although several Lewes youngsters were in action were mainly from Kent and Hampshire.
After last year’s races were called off because of heavy frost on the track, the weather conditions were good this year.
Some good performances put in by the youngsters and nice to see a few new comers, and Winchester AC a new club on the scene, hopefully boding well for the future.
U23 performer Luc Legon from Cambridge Harriers, the only walker in the event under 50 romped away from Steyning’s Jimmy Ball (M55) to win by four minutes in 23:44 to 27:50.
Arena 80’s Dave Kemp (M55) clocked 30:48 in fourth place while Jules White (M50) from Lewes clocked 31:14 and Steyning’s John Killick (M70) 32:23 were fifth and sixth respectively.
In the Women’s event that was dominated by out of county athletes Lois Carty (Aldershot) won in 28:48 with the only Sussex walker, Lewes’s Eva Peyton White (U20) finished sixth in 31:58.
Lewes athletes came to the fore in the 1km event where U13 walker Charlie Perry was the only male competitor clocked 5:58 with Andrea Ingram (W55) clocking 6:36, Niamh Geary (U15) 6:41 and Rosy Gaughan 6:55.
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