Beachy Head Marathon

Hello again !

The Official Gallery from the 2009 Beachy Head Marathon is now online here :
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=50mzex3
and it also includes the Junior races.

With over 14,000 to choose from - hopefully you'll find yourself if you can ! There are full instructions on how to find your pictures using the race number, or how to reduce your searching through everything on the gallery home page itself - so please have a read there to save yourself some time !

I could go on about it being the wettest race year in a long time, but you all know that, suffice to say I ended up pitching the small tent and getting right to the back of it to stop the mizzle getting on the lens. It was a challenge technically for everyone - running or watching, to stay on their game and make it through the day, which turned out ok in the end ! (although Sunday was nicer wasn't it)

The Start video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f_veIOP42g

Here's a short selection of images from the day - I hope it brings back mostly good memories for you all !

The Start - the mist had fallen down the hill, later on, it would be higher up...


@Jevington, about 30 minutes into the run - it was an Ely runner who came past first - but as I mentioned to Number 1 as he went past in second - they don't have hills in Ely...



@Alfriston and the White Horse - it was so dark Mike resorted to using his flash, and then gave a large 300mm f2.8 lens a run out. He managed to somehow see through the mist and rain to see the white horse.


Birling Gap - Horseshoe Woods. After walking up to the top of the cliffs, losing all vision and sanity, we (my recently appointed wingman Julian and I) tried to find somewhere a bit more homely for the next four hours after Jevington. So we pitched the tent and settled in for the day, running as much of a double act as possible trying to cheer people on and up ! If anyone else wants to join me for a days work of cheerleeding just get in touch... There was a wonderful view of the hills behind you, it's just the mist, rain and fog kinda made it less fantastic.



At the Finish, it rained like it did everywhere else, but with less misty stuff. As usual, the main man won, and Sam won the womens race for the first time - a big step up from the half marathons and 10ks we usually see her at the front of. Great Stuff Sam !



So go onto the gallery and find your pictures here:

http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=50mzex3
Please remember that we archive off galleries after about 3 months to make space for new events - so please don't get caught out and make sure you have your copy to keep and treasure.

Jekyll and Hyde Park Duathlon 2009

The Jekyll and Hyde Park Halloween Duathlon gallery is now online here:
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=3qrzf0i

If you're waiting for news of Beachy Head marathon - then when ready - it will be here - we have some 20,000+ images to go through, and we can prepare about 400 per hour, so we are aiming for Wednesday some time... Please check back then or keep registered for these updates to keep informed. We'll try not to go too cross-eyed in the meantime !

So, after the rain and mist, fog and gale force winds of Saturday, it was up early at 5am and off to make the best of the 25hour day that was Sunday. I used 21 of them !

First off - big thank you to Crystal Palace Tri members for the extra £1 for the parking meter, and the other chap who originally offered me £1 in the Bridge car park. As many of you will have found too - the parking meters in the carparks wouldn't take any money before 8:30am ?!? However, the ones in the road near the Diana Memorial would - so £3 of Her Majesty's' British pounds secured parking until 11.20am, plenty of time !

Having just weighed it, I wheeled my 21kg of kit (thank goodness for the trolley!) the half mile to the start, checked in with Lisa and the crew and got ready for the start.

Given more opportunity and higher mobility I would have gone over to Rotten Row for the first lap shots, but light (shady and dark in the trees - yes it was !) time and weight was against me so I stuck with the available light on the main drive before T1, and then went off over to get the cycling.

The main challenge with the cycling shots was the hard sunlight causing overexposure or face shadows when the clouds gave way - especially if you were on the wrong side of the bikes, and large amounts of backlighting on the trees, and a very straight road (you want a bit of wiggle so you can get a nice road perspective off into the distance behind the subject).

The top bend before T2 had a bit of curve which just about did the job - just as long as people didn't ease off too early before the turn (otherwise you just get the resting photos instead of the going-for-it photos)... That seemed to work, and like most spectators I was counting Priscilla's Laps so we knew when to go to the finish...

T2 down and then it was over to the finish for the final run-ins. Ideally there would be time to get to the laps, but if you went out for that shot, you'd miss either half of the cycling, or the winners finishing. What to do ?

Ideally somewhere over by the lido getting the Serpentine in the background is a possible shot but that's a half mile walk with aforementioned kit, and you are not going to get back for the prizegiving, let alone the finishers ! Also, the locals are up and about by then - making the view totally impeded - not ideal.

Sticking to the finish and getting those winning efforts from everyone was the right decision, especially if you want to get everyone...

Well done to Thames Turbo on winning the team prizes - a tricky shot into direct sunlight - but here's your team shot - search on "misc" on the gallery to find it or browse the prize folder.

If you didn't know - this is the most practical prize given out at any Duathlon I've been to:

Well done to Priscilla number 134 on winning the fancy dress competition.

Thames Turbo cleaned up the Pumpkin stakes :

You can find the rest of the gallery here:

http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=3qrzf0i

And here's a short video-montage of the race:

http://animoto.com/play/p2fXtgSBsBeN0YQCfmoZ2Q

You can see it below if you're online, but not on email:

Well done everyone - I hope you enjoyed the day !

Abingdon Marathon 2009 - now live

The quick link to the gallery is here:
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=ethzey0

All 14,000+ images from Sundays Abingdon Half marathon are now online.
It was a long and brilliant day - the weather was perfect (if a little chilly at the start).
As we can't really put into words the effort that goes into these events, all I can say is that it was an honour and a priveledge to be there to witness your achivements !

Below after the news - is a video for the Fetcheveryone.com running forumites who helped, ran and organised the day. Well done to everyone involved !

In other news:

Beachy Head Marathon on Saturday: - NB roadworks on the A27 below Lewes - anticipate delays going from brighton.
Brighton 10k on Sunday November the 15th - they are looking for volunteers:
"Free item of kit to the volunteers who help man the drink station at the end of Hove Lawns. Contact Andy Mitchelson on andy.mitchelson@brooksrunning.co.uk for more details.
Also volunteers needed at the Start/Finish area - you could get a cup of tea and a bacon roll if you are there for an 8am start - contact Chris Carter on cscarter@ukonline.co.uk"

So here's the link to, and embedded the video, and then a sample of pictures to relive the day - only one Bolt on the line and only one forwards roll !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRJq9bk-HaY










Go to the gallery directly here, and search by your race number:
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=ethzey0