Race Planning and updates

With the busy month of October started and November just around the corner - it's probably worth a quick mention of some of the regular, as well as some of the new events going on around Sussex and the South of England.
If we don't see you at least one of these, then we hope the injury clears up sometime soon !

Here's a list of events we'll be at over the next few weeks - and if they are still open for entries:

This weekend:
Sunday 18th October:
Abingdon Marathon - full Good luck to everyone in this, especially the Fetchies
Wimbledon 10k - website - possibly entries on the day

Next Weekend:
Saturday 24th October: Beachy Head Marathon - website - race full
Sunday 25th October: Jekyll and Hyde Duathlon - website- entries still open

Three weeks:
Saturday 31st of October:
The 2nd Brighton Park Run anniversary - just register on the friday before
Sunday 1st November:
Barns Green Half Marathon - website - entries
The Veteran Car Run - website (full) - The Famous London to Brighton
Losely 10k - website Charity 10k race organised by AAT

Four Weeks: Sunday 8th November:
The Preston Park road races - website - entry
**NEW EVENT** The Urban Race - Sussex Obstacle Dash - Website

Five Weeks: Sunday 15th November
The Brighton 10k - website - entries still open

The new event on this list is the Urban Race SOD - or The Sussex Obstacle Dash.
Here's a map of the course (if you're not online - here's a direct link) - its all happening at Ardingly, near Haywards Heath at the South of England Show Ground.

View Sussex Obstacle Dash Course in a larger map

We wern't really sure what it was all about - so we asked Dan for some more info. As it turns out - it's more sensible than a GRIM challenge (or similar sillyness) but not as *sensible* or flat as the Phoenix road races on the same day...

This is what Dan's PR men told us -
SOD The Run
Hundreds of runners are expected to descend on the South of England Centre in November for a new running race with a difference. The Sussex Obstacle Dash is a unique event at the South of England Centre in West Sussex on Sunday 8th November 2009.

The catch is competitors will be running on a cross country course made for horses. Runners will negotiate water jumps, fences and other obstacles. The event includes a 5km or 10km run race and also offers the opportunity for people to race together in teams of 2, 3 or 4.

Race Director, Dan James, said: “This tough little race is not for the faint hearted. That is why we have a 5km race as well for beginners. Athletes will meet an obstacle around every 500 metres and some of them are challenging. It’s a great low cost way for people to get fit and do something different. The team element is also proving really popular and it will need teamwork for a group to get a good time”.

The event has an association with The National Autistic Society (NAS) who hope to raise a few thousand pounds from sponsorship at the event. Steve Cheshire, NAS Director of Fundraising, said: "Autism is a serious, lifelong and disabling condition, but the right support at the right time can make an enormous difference to people’s lives. It is thanks to events like the Sussex Obstacle Dash, that we are able to provide valuable support and services to people with autism, their families and carers and raise awareness at the same time. It is great to see so many people going that extra (muddy!) mile for the NAS and we would like to thank everyone who will be taking part and wish them the very best of luck!"

Organisers have produced a survival guide giving potential athletes a description of what is in store for them.

The Survival Guide can be viewed here: http://www.urbanrace.co.uk/documents/Sussex_Obstacle_Dash_Survival_Guide.pdf

and Finally....

You might notice a few changes to the website pages over the next few weeks, we're trying our hardest to make them easy to navigate and find your pictures quickly, have easy help information, but also interesting enough for you to enjoy using the site.

Please please please let us know if you find things difficult or awkward - you might not be the only one, and we might not have noticed, and it's probably not intentional. Please tell us - and then we can do something about it, or at least give our gallery providers some justified food for thought ! (or even try to explain why it's stuck the way it is) so drop us a line at info@sussexsportphotography.com we don't bite and we can't get better without changing !

until next time when we see you running !
Anthony