Tuesday 7 January 2014

Sussex XC Champs 2014 - Bexhill



The Sussex Cross Country Championships 2014 gallery is now live and online here: http://bit.ly/Sussex-XC-Champs-2014-official-gallery

If you went down to the woods last Sunday you were in for a big surprise !
Mud. Lots of it, everywhere. And it wasn't raining !

Yes last Sunday was the County cross country championship weekend. Originally scheduled for Saturday at Stanmer, The uncertainty of dates with the FA Cup draw at the Amex Stadium as well as some travellers on the land, together with the university apparently not making their facilities available meant that a diversion was made to Bexhill. Hastings AC ably stepping into the frame to make the course and prepare the facilities for this years championships on the Sunday instead deserve due credit where it was due - the course and facilities faired very well in the conditions.

Questions need to be asked about the viability of Stanmer as a location for the next few years as the FA cup weekend will always clash with the XC champs weekend - and the uncertainty of the FA cup draw and television schedules make it an almost randomly available facility. This is not good for planning.
The number of runners were down 21% on 2013 (almost 100 less to a total of 338) and the uncertainty of date as well as the change of location must have been a contributory factor (although we can't overlook the horrendous weather forecasts over the past few days as well).

As it was - the rain stayed away except for a little bit towards the end of the senior races, so perfect muddy racing conditions in the woods of Bexhill were the order of the days play and plenty of gritty performances. Great marshalling by Hastings AC and the other volunteers on the day - I don't think a single person went the wrong way once ?! which on a turning course like Bexhill is an excellent result.

I'll leave it to the official report on the Sussex AAA website here http://www.sussexathletics.org.uk/news.php?id=1472 to tell you the full story and the results can be found there too.


The conditions under foot were basically muddy and slippy, with muddy puddles getting softened and deeper through the races. Anyone in just trainers was going to have problems - spikes, studs or trail shoes were a must, unless barefoot is your cup of tea...
Certain parts higher up the course on the grass were quite firm under foot, but there was still quite a lot of standing water on the surface from the previous days heavy rain.

More photos at the bottom of the page...

if you view this in the webpage - you'll see the animation
Poor chap from Hastings caught a tree root - but he did want to see the sequence...

Current list of live Galleries in alphabetical order

Date Event in Alphabetical order
28/09/2013 AAT Echo Challenge 2013
07/09/2013 AAT Hard as Snails 2013
03/11/2013 AAT Loseley 10k 2013
20/10/2013 Abingdon Marathon 2013
08/09/2013 Alice Holt 2013
25/08/2013 Arundel 10k 2013
19/10/2013 Back 2 The Trenches #3 2013
06/10/2013 Basingstoke Half 2013
26/10/2013 Beachy Head Marathon 2013
11/08/2013 Bewl Tri 2013
17/11/2013 Brighton 10k 2013
16/11/2013 Brutal Long Valley 2013
28/12/2013 Brutal Longmoor 2013
17/08/2013 Brutal Minley 2013
19/10/2013 Brutal Woolmer 2013
20/10/2013 Cabbage Patch 10 2013
06/10/2013 Cambridge Town and Gown 10k 2013
26/08/2013 Canterbury Half 2013
15/09/2013 Chestnut 10k 2013
13/10/2013 Chichester Half 2013
06/10/2013 Clarendon Marathon 2013
05/10/2013 Dusk 2 Dawn 2013
29/09/2013 Ealing Half 2013
08/09/2013 ETL Bacchus 2013
20/10/2013 ETL Denbies 10 2013
24/11/2013 ETL Molehills 2013
24/08/2013 F3 Festival of Sport 2013
29/09/2013 F3 Henley Trail Half 2013
29/09/2013 Folkestone Half 2013
13/10/2013 Givaudan Ashford 10k 2013
10/11/2013 Grand Union Half 2013
13/10/2013 Herts 10k 2013
01/12/2013 Jigsaw Run 2013
13/10/2013 Kellystore Run 2013
03/11/2013 LBVCR 2013
13/10/2013 Maidstone Half 2013
01/09/2013 Newbury Tri 2013
15/09/2013 Pilgrim 2013
10/11/2013 Poppy Half 2013
08/09/2013 PP Maidenhead Half 2013
17/08/2013 Pride 10k 2013
06/10/2013 Reading O2O 10k 2013
11/08/2013 REP Adur Swim 2013
15/09/2013 REP Firle 2013
15/12/2013 RPAC Holly Run 2013
08/12/2013 Seaford Mince Pie 10 2013
08/12/2013 The Hogs Back 2013
10/08/2013 The Ride of Hope 2013
03/11/2013 Thetford MTB Race1 2013
01/12/2013 Thetford MTB Race2 2013
22/09/2013 Tonbridge Half 2013
01/09/2013 Tri Together 2013
06/10/2013 Warrior Run 2 2013

Races to Enter !

Call for entries:Race Entry links for selected races:

some of these still need filling in !
2014
JAN 2014
1st Wednesday - Serpentine NYD 10kcompleted - http://bit.ly/Serpentine-10k-Official-Gallery-2014
5th Sun - Sussex XC Champs @Bexhillhttp://www.sussexathletics.org.uk/forms.php#form149
18th Sat - G3#1 - Guildfordfree race gallery downloads http://bit.ly/aat-g3-entry
19th Sun - Fred Hughes 10mileshttp://bit.ly/fred-hughes-10-entry
25th Sat - SEAA XC Champs Parliament Hill
26th Sun - Epsom Perchhttp://bit.ly/Epsom-Perch-2014-entry
26th Sun - Canterbury 10http://bit.ly/canterbury-10
FEB 2013
2nd Sun - Watford Halfhttp://bit.ly/watford-half-entry
2nd Sun - Ashford and District 10k
2nd Sun - ETL Bookham 10k
9th Sat - G3#2 - Guildfordfree race gallery downloads http://bit.ly/aat-g3-entry
9th Sun - Deal Half Marathon
15th Sat - Brutal - Windmill Hillhttp://bit.ly/Brutal-10-homepage
16th Sun - (Brighton Half Marathon)
23rd Sun - Hampton Court Half Marathon
MARCH 2014
Sat 1st - G3#3 - Guildfordfree race gallery downloads http://bit.ly/aat-g3-entry
Sat 1st and 2nd - The Nuts Challengehttp://bit.ly/the-Nuts-Challenge 
Sun 2nd - Berkhampstead Half Marathon
Sun 2nd - Steyning Stinger http://bit.ly/The-Steyning-Stinger
free race gallery downloads
Sun 9th - Roding Valley Half Marathon
Sun 9th - Surrey Half Marathonhttp://bit.ly/Surrey-Half-Marathon-entry
Sun 9th - Lydd Half Marathon
Sat 15th - Brutal Bordonhttp://bit.ly/Brutal-10-homepage
Sat 15th - F3 Dorney Half Marathon
Sun 16th - Colchester Half Marathon
Sun 16th - ETL Tempest 10 and Spitfire 20
Sun 16th - Cranleigh 15-21
Sun 23rd - Richmond 13.1 and 10khttp://bit.ly/Richmond131-half-marathon
Sun 23rd - Back 2 the Trenches #1
Sun 23rd - PP Water of Life Half Marathon
Sun 23rd - Brentwood Half Marathon
Sun 30th - Warrior Run #1
Sun 30th - Paddock Wood Half Marathon
Sun 30th - BHF Bournemouth Half Marathon

more to follow...

Shots from Bexhill:
All go at the starting stampede for the U13G

It's difficult to look like you're trying harder than this - top racing 

Taking the race in his stride

Mind out, here they come !


Spikes or trail shoes a must, this was just the second corner

trying not to look too nonchalant over the deepest bogs

Jason wasn't too sure why ?!

Still possible to get some good air and pace on the mud paths

Take route 1 if you want to win - like Jon...

never overlook a photo opportunity !

working the camera

Timber !! - 454 almost felled, but he recovered just in time...

Far too stylish Boycey

Jan had an attack of the wobbles as she hit puddle aversion

Awesome effort from Jenny

The Womens lead group slogging through the course as a pack - can you name them ?

The glorious sight of a finish line !

Stick around and you get to accept the Trophy for your Team - Well done Brighton !

Reg takes down the results for quick reference later

If you look like this at the end - you're doing it right !

Mr Hoyte #2 - one to watch for the future, and for the past 5 years to be honest...

Saves having to wash them I suppose...

Well done on Win number 3 Jon - try not to make it look too easy next time !
Well done to everyone involved on a great days racing at Bexhill, fingers crossed for everyone that the weather picks up soon and you can all get that training in for the Brighton Half Marathon and the rest of the Cross Country Leagues over the next months...

I now have my last weekend off until August, take it easy !

Until next time
Anthony


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