Wednesday 22 February 2017

Hampton Court Half Marathon 2017 now live

The Original Hampton Court Half Marathon



The  Hampton Court Half Marathon Gallery is now live and online here: http://sspimg.com/HamptonCourtHalf-2017-Gallery


The start of the 2017 Hampton Court Half Marathon - closely supervised by Henry VIII. The eventual winner is in the yellow Hercules Wimbledon vest and orange headband.

With a new starting location and event site on the Gigg's Hill Green - making for a clearer first two miles of the route - meant a much better early start to the race in the early stages. With the Xempo paced waves being set off and roughly 3 minute intervals it meant that the main body of the race was thinned out quite early. There were still large busses of people following the pacing groups - especially 1:50, 2hr and 2:10 flags - which always makes it difficult for us to get a shot of runners behind the pack leaders, but we do our best !

Overall the weather for photography was near perfect (can always ask for a bit warmer) but the light was through milky thin clouds - which always leads to gentle illumination and nice soft shadows. Nice ! we just needed that slight wind to die down and a degree or two warmer and it would be wonderful. And it's still only February !!

Next weekend
We're at the Brutal Temple Valley - a new location so a new Brutal Course - so with new surprises (have you seen the steps in the woods?) and we are also at the 

English National Cross Country Championships - in Nottingham on Saturday - and we will be using Pic2Go to give all the competitors their images live during the event - courtesy of the sponsors Saucony.

Register with Pic2Go for your free photos here if you are going http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/news/pic2go-at-the-nationals-2017/ 
and get your race number on the day to register from here http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/the-national-cross-country-championships/entry-lists/

It's going to be a great event ! Looking forwards to seeing you all out there on the course.


Date Event Name Gallery or Event Website
Sun-12/02/2017 Worthing Half Marathon http://sspimg.com/Worthing-Half2017-Gallery
Sun-19/02/2017 Hampton Court Half Marathon http://sspimg.com/HamptonCourtHalf-2017-Gallery
Sat-25/02/2017 Brutal Temple Valley http://brutalrun.co.uk/race/temple-valley/
Sat-25/02/2017 English National XC Champs http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/
Sun-05/03/2017 Berkhamsted Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Berkhampstead-Half
Sun-05/03/2017 Leicester 10k http://www.townandgown10k.com/leicester/
Sun-05/03/2017 Steyning Stinger http://www.steyningac.co.uk/
Sat-11/03/2017 Surrey Schools XC Champs http://www.ssaa.org.uk/
Sun-12/03/2017 Colchester Half http://bit.ly/Colchester-Half
Sat-18/03/2017 Kelly's Clandon Park Run https://charity.kellystorage.co.uk/Events/2017/Clandon-Park-Run/
Sun-19/03/2017 ETL Spring Badger Half http://eventstolive.co.uk/collections/events-new
Sun-19/03/2017 Salomon Richmond Half and 10k http://bit.ly/Richmond-Half
Sun-19/03/2017 Fleet Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Fleet-Half-Marathon
Sun-19/03/2017 Brentwood Half http://bit.ly/Brentwood-Half
Sun-19/03/2017 Hastings Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Hastings-Half
Sat-25/03/2017 AAT Bolt http://allabouttriathlons.co.uk/race/bolt-round-the-holt-run/
Sun-26/03/2017 Cranleigh 15-21 http://www.mabac.org.uk
Sun-02/04/2017 Paddock Wood http://bit.ly/Paddock-Wood-Half
Sun-09/04/2017 HONC www.HONC.co.uk
Sun-09/04/2017 PP Grand Union Half http://www.purplepatchrunning.com/
Here's some photos from the Hampton Court Half for you, and some fun moments from the morning...

I shouted "Catalogue pose" and even the marshals joined in


Here the bikes are signed to ride the correct way around "#OH" you say..

Good work from burgess hill runners at the 2 mile mark

The best Man Tights there are. Mr Man Tights.


Great to see Jenny out - we've been capturing her in action for the past 15 years.

Dominic Kiralyfi won in 1:12:54 for Hercules Wimbledon

The "Birthday Princess" rosette had a special outing - Happy Birthday !

Start them young !

Busy scenes at the finish as runners come into the finish line

With friends like this, Hayley is sorted. No that's not an "R".

The 1hr30 Xempo pacing  bus

Bemused rowers look on

IF only we had her race number this Mum would be able to find her images easily - now she'll have to search through the "000" results - which she probably won't realise to do despite the instructions. 

Hayley celebrates getting near the finish.

Here's looking at you

All going well at 6 miles

Here's looking at you too

Dabbing - a hip hop dance move to impersonate a sneeze from circa 2012.
Bless you !

When you're friend drags you round a race, but it works out ok.

Badabing - badaboom

"Siri - why am I running in again when I've already finished"

There's a whole world of celebration going on here - excellent !

That look that says "I think you're mad"

I've a feeling this isn't the way Winston Churchill used the sign to those behind him.

"Help I'm being chased by wild animals. And a Rhino"

Jenny was in disguise - she's actually MI6

when you get photobombed but are completely unaware of it

Cool High-fives

I know our photographers are good looking, but no need for this.

Tight tights ?


799 dutifully eyes the curb


Good to see teamwork at the finish

Viceroys cyclist gets swept up in the moment


Might be related

Cyclists - please ride inverted. Simon wasn't sure what was going on.

Rachel MacKley eyeing up some cirrostratus clouds adds to our collection of Weather Presenters in sport going back some 30 years - including John Kettley, Kaddy Lee-Preston, Hellen Willetts, Tomasz Schafernaker and Carol Kirkwood in our collection.

Full on red corduroy direct motivational support being imparted
Make sure you get your entries in for next year in good time ! "Or Else" says Henry.

That's it for this week - we're going to be full on for the next four weeks with big major events - and the 19th of March seems to have been the weekend of choice for the very busy pre-london half marathons this year.

Looking forwards to Nottingham and the England National Cross country championships on Saturday - don't forget to register if you're going - and please tell your team mates too if they are going too... http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/news/pic2go-at-the-nationals-2017/ 
sort of apologies in advance if we fill your facebook timeline with loads of running pictures on Saturday...

until next time, enjoy the warmer weather, but mind out for Storm Doris...
Anthony



Tuesday 14 February 2017

Worthing Half 2017 gallery live and call for entries

Running out from the front Kevin and Paul pushed fast and early at the Worthing Half - with Paul winning in 1:07:44
Cold but fair conditions for the Second Worthing Half Marathon on Sunday, again expertly organised by Perseverance Events, using the pier pavilion as the main administration base. Great support out on the course by the locals with the winding route making it easy to support runners multiple times as they ran around the course out as far as the Goring Gap. The slightly altered course from last year actually made this easier. With full road closure on the sea front until after the junior mini miles - it was apparently quite busy in town.
The race gallery is here http://sspimg.com/Worthing-Half2017-Gallery
The facebook live footage from the start of the race http://sspimg.com/FB-Worthing2017-video

The weather was grey, and a bit mizzly at first with cold damp wind from the north east dropping the temperature into the low 3-4degC, and ominous dark snow-holding clouds loomed over the north horizon, making it very dark at one point in the morning. Slowly the sun cracked through the clouds and with some thinning, and things generally brightened up for the finish.

With the course being almost perfectly flat - if you don't count going up the kerbs when cutting corners (Claire...) - then the biggest hill is going up the slight slope from the seafront road onto the promenade on the finish - probably a 2 ft rise...  This gives rise to some fast times, with Paul Martelletti taking the win in a fast 1:07:44 - although that is almost two minutes slower than his run in Spain last week - http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=57843
I'd blame the cold...

Call for entries - don't get caught out
A quick call for entries for three events that we will be bringing you later in the year across three different distances - so something for everyone here:

1. 10k - The First Leicester Town and Gown 10k on March the 5th. http://www.townandgown10k.com/leicester/ organised by Muscular Dystrophy

2. The ABP Southampton 10k, Half, and Full Marathon at the end of April - it is filling up fast and has a fantastic route - http://sspimg.com/Enter-Southampton-2017

3. On June the 10th - The Heineken Race to the Tower - a new 100km Ultra event - http://sspimg.com/Enter-Race-to-the-Tower-2017




All the other gallery and event links you could possibly want are in the table below:

Date Event Name Event or gallery link
This Weekend
Sun-12/02/2017 Worthing Half Marathon http://sspimg.com/Worthing-Half2017-Gallery
Last Weekend
Sun-05/02/2017 Gloucester Marathon http://sspimg.com/GLoucester-Marathon-2017-Gallery
Sun-05/02/2017 Watford Half http://sspimg.com/Watford-Half-2017-Gallery
Sun-05/02/2017 ETL Bookham 10k http://sspimg.com/Bookham10k-Gallery2017
Future Races
Sun-19/02/2017 Hampton Court Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Hampton-Court-Half-Entry
Sat-25/02/2017 English National XC Champs http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/
Sat-25/02/2017 Brutal Temple Valley http://brutalrun.co.uk/race/temple-valley/
Sun-05/03/2017 Berkhamsted Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Berkhampstead-Half
Sun-05/03/2017 Leicester 10k http://www.townandgown10k.com/leicester/
Sun-05/03/2017 Steyning Stinger http://www.steyningac.co.uk/
Sat-11/03/2017 Surrey Schools XC Champs http://www.ssaa.org.uk/
Sun-12/03/2017 Colchester Half http://bit.ly/Colchester-Half
Sat-18/03/2017 Kelly's Clandon Park Run https://charity.kellystorage.co.uk/
Sun-19/03/2017 ETL Spring Badger Half http://eventstolive.co.uk/collections/events-new
Sun-19/03/2017 Salomon Richmond Half and 10k http://bit.ly/Richmond-Half
Sun-19/03/2017 Fleet Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Fleet-Half-Marathon
Sun-19/03/2017 Brentwood Half http://bit.ly/Brentwood-Half
Sun-19/03/2017 Hastings Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Hastings-Half
Sat-25/03/2017 AAT Bolt http://allabouttriathlons.co.uk/race/bolt-round-the-holt-run/
Sun-26/03/2017 Cranleigh 15-21 http://www.mabac.org.uk
Sun-02/04/2017 Paddock Wood http://bit.ly/Paddock-Wood-Half


recreating Ben Johnson finishing the 1988 Olympic 100m

I must go and see La La Land.

Classic FM and in the conductor zone

Eric and Ernie bringing sunshine

An ironic Double thumbs up to Donald Trump ? or all is going well

It's like a face palming Bolt. The cool kids tell me it's a "dub".

You can taste the sea in the air

He's a happy chap, although the guy in front apparently won.

Dionne signalled her surrender after hiding her race number

Force of habit or an attempt to show race number. 

*waves to the crowds*

All is good on the last 800m

Early on, it was all going well here...

"Ultimate Ben" is an upgrade from just Ben, seen next to him.

feeling good at the finish

This does make running a half marathon harder...


Nice as it is, the face you don't want to see at a Race, because it means you are in trouble...

The Worthing Mayor commiserates with the Winner.

Almost the end of the day for all the races and Heading home.

PB's for Ed and Lester. Can't be bad !


Otherwise - Happy Valentines Day - I hope you didn't succumb to unnecessary commercial pressure just to do something you probably do all year anyway (don't you) or don't want to do.

Until next weekend - when we will see you at the Hampton Court Half Marathon ! (and hopefully be a bit warmer).

Anthony