Pewsey Terminator and Hampton Court Half 2014 now live

With a Saturday of blue sky the day before, statistically we were expecting a plague of locusts or similar on the Sunday. But amazingly it was just a bit grey and dark and a bit of light rain, and a bit windy, but quite warm (which is always better than cold!)

Two important races took place this Sunday - they were the inaugural Hampton Court Half Marathon, and the 25th anniversary Pewsey Vale Terminator.

Race Logo	Gallery link
	Hampton Court Half Marathon http://bit.ly/Hampton-Court-Half-2014-Photo-Gallery
	The 25th Anniversary Pewsey Terminator: http://bit.ly/Pewsey-Terminator-2014-Photo-Gallery

Here's the latest list of galleries on the website and the upcoming events you might be interested in.
Please remember - we only hold about 1million images on the gallery, so if you're looking for pictures from a year ago, then you'll need an archive search done for you http://sussexsportphotography.com/archives/

We remove the oldest galleries first, so please bear in mind that the Maidenhead, Pilgrim, Tonbridge and Ealing Half galleries from 2013 very soon !

Call for entries and new galleries in 2014	Race Entry links and gallery links for selected races:
2014
JAN 2014
1st Wednesday - Serpentine NYD 10k	Gallery here - http://bit.ly/Serpentine-10k-Official-Gallery-2014
5th Sun - Sussex XC Champs @Bexhill	Gallery here -  http://bit.ly/Sussex-XC-Champs-2014-official-gallery
18th Sat - G3#1 - Guildford	Gallery here - free race gallery downloads http://bit.ly/G3-Race1-2014-Official-Gallery
19th Sun - Fred Hughes 10miles	Gallery here - http://bit.ly/Fred-Hughes-10-Official-Gallery-2014
25th Sat - SEAA XC Champs Parliament Hill	Gallery here - http://bit.ly/SEAA-XC-Champs-2014-Photo-Gallery
26th Sun - Epsom Perch	Gallery here: http://bit.ly/Epsom-Perch-Official-Gallery-2014
26th Sun - Canterbury 10	Gallery here: http://bit.ly/Barretts-Canterbury-10-Official-Gallery-2014
26th Sun - Thetford MTB3	Gallery here: http://bit.ly/Thetford-MTB-round3-2014-gallery
FEB 2013
2nd Sun - Watford Half	http://bit.ly/Watford-Half-Marathon-Official-Gallery-2014
2nd Sun - Ashford and District 10k	http://bit.ly/Ashford-District-10k-2014-Official-Gallery
2nd Sun - ETL Bookham 10k	http://bit.ly/ETL-Bookham-10k-2014-Gallery
9th Sat - G3#2 - Guildford	free race gallery downloads http://bit.ly/G3-race2-2014-Official-Gallery
9th Sun - Deal Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/Deal-Half-2014-Photos
15th Sat - Brutal - Windmill Hill	http://bit.ly/Brutal-Windmill-Hill-2014-Photo-Gallery
16th Sun - (Brighton Half Marathon)	Sally did 2:11 and Ben did 1:52 yaay !
23rd Sun - Hampton Court Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/Hampton-Court-Half-2014-Photo-Gallery
23rd Sun - Pewsey Terminator	http://bit.ly/Pewsey-Terminator-2014-Photo-Gallery
MARCH 2014
Sat 1st - G3#3 - Guildford	free race gallery downloads http://bit.ly/aat-g3-entry
Sat 1st and 2nd - The Nuts Challenge	http://bit.ly/the-Nuts-Challenge
Sun 2nd - Berkhampstead Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/Berkhamstead-Half-Marathon-entry
Sun 2nd - Steyning Stinger	http://bit.ly/The-Steyning-Stinger free race gallery downloads
Sun 9th - Roding Valley Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/roding-valley-half-mara-info
Sun 9th - Surrey Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/Surrey-Half-Marathon-entry
Sun 9th - Lydd Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/Lydd-Half-Marathon-entries
Sat 15th - Brutal Bordon	http://bit.ly/Brutal-10-homepage
Sat 15th - F3 Dorney Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/F3-Events
Sun 16th - Colchester Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/Colchester-half-marathon-entry
Sun 16th - ETL Tempest 10 and Spitfire 20	http://bit.ly/ETL-races
Sun 16th - Cranleigh 15-21	http://bit.ly/MABAC-races
Sun 23rd - Richmond 13.1 and 10k	http://bit.ly/Richmond131-half-marathon
Sun 23rd - Back 2 the Trenches #1	http://bit.ly/back2thetrenches-entry
Sun 23rd - PP Water of Life Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/PP_Upcoming_races
Sun 23rd - Brentwood Half Marathon	http://www.brentwoodhalf.org/index.htm (sold out)
Sun 30th - Warrior Run #1	http://bit.ly/Warrior-run-entry
Sun 30th - Paddock Wood Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/paddock-wood-half
Sun 30th - BHF Bournemouth Half Marathon	http://bit.ly/bournemouth-bay-run-2014
more to follow...

Hampton Court Half

Whilst for a new race over 2000 entries is an excellent turn out, and judging from the looks on peoples faces that were to be honest - happier than usual at the end of a Half Marathon - it must have been gutting to discover that there was a human error on the course that cut the bottom first loop of the route short by 0.4 miles to 12.7 from 13.1

This (alas) is by no means a unique occurrence, established races have marked out their courses turn points on the wrong lamppost making them too long, too short, through a tight gate, over the muddy ditch not the bridge, on bigger races than this. 

Frankly we have seen it all over the years. Averaged race time performances, pro-rata time corrections, adjustments to race paces - all will be timed and done to quantify the differences, but in all honesty - Nothing will replace the feeling for a lot of people that it isn't the correct distance, but remember the fact that when they were doing it they were having the race they wanted to have. 

It was genuine human error on this occasion. I've seen lead runners at other races running a similar course to a different race and thinking that the one they were on was the same - ignore the marshal and lead everyone off on a detour. So - sometimes - it's not the marshals fault. I've seen lead cars go too far ahead and the lead runner get to a roundabout (surrounded by crowds except for the route) and start asking which way they should go, and I've also seen junior runners who were so fast they caught up the back of the main race and got directed along with them instead of turned around.

I can guarantee I will see this happen at least twice more this year, so whatever you do - don't take it personally, it was a great course. My final top tip - if you are going to be at the front of the course - you should know it.

So - look on the bright side - at the finish you would look that 0.4miles fresher in the photos than if you had run that last extra energy sapping distance and thank goodness - because don't you all look the more awesome for it ! (and anyway 0.4miles is 640meters, so a lap and a half of the track - you probably did that in your pre-race warm up? - so it all adds up).

I will say one thing - big respect to the race director for issuing the news, information and apology over the distance mistake so quickly. That is the fastest I've seen that done anywhere, and there has been no censorship of comments on facebook, again something I've seen done elsewhere. It's a tough call to make and be as open as he has been.

In celebrity news from the Hampton Court Half

You might be interested to know that Rory Campbell, #733 won the race. Here he is in action: http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?l=0P.E07-.0&pictureid=21874215634  

Yes, that's Rory, the son of Alistair Campbell (ex Tony Blair Press officer). He's certainly upped his performance for the race, from a 3hr marathon time PB last year, his 1:13:16 is even over the shorter distance a significant step up in performance - into the 80%+ age graded results.

If you like a good read - have a look at his list of donors on his charity page - and give him a bob or two for his excellent work at the front of the race - here: https://www.justgiving.com/Rory-Campbell5/

If you have any other celebrities that took part in the race let us know and have a look, then you might want to check out local MP Sadiq Khan, runner #2922 who clocked 1:48:27 chip time over the course.

The Pewsey Vale 25th Terminator

Another testing 11miles for those who like their hills, mud, wind and a wash in the river at the end. We even convinced a friend to drive 105 miles from Bromley for it, that's how strong the draw is for this challenge.

Unfortunately due to the rain, rain and a bit more rain, the wilderness leap after the canal was (sensibly) taken out from the course so the water drainage wasn't damaged. It was a bit muddy still on the path past it, and the extra hilly bits to make up for it obviously helped ensure the course had it's full impact !

A few of you took the invitation for a wash in the river crossing a little too literally - one person taking what seemed like a good 5 minutes to rinse off the mud ! Some of you took a full body wash dip too - possibly unintentionally ?

Well done to the race organisers Pewsey Vale Running Club on yet another excellently marshalled, parked, marked and supported race yet again. 25years is hard to achieve !

A small selection from the galleries:

Good airplanes

Monsters Inc

Flying Up that hill Kate Bush Style

Double Thumbs up

Xempo Pacers in step around the course

They were friends before this

When men bond

yaay for bunny ears

checking your phone on the finish line only leads to being overtaken

all smiles at Hampton Court

Excellent fundraising effort

The taste of success

All go at the start line at Esher College

They did the whole course like this. Men in Beards.

For the win !

Style on the sidewalk in Kingston

Meanwhile at the Terminator:

Full raging bull course attack !

The bridge is approximately this wide

Captain Tutu, to Termination and beyond...

All downhill from here, until the next uphill

Downhills make you smile

The one eyed cyclops photographer 

It's the Joy of the Terminator

Mud and water, what's not to love ?

Too late to be squeemish

Always good to share

Power through the right way

Trip the light fantastic

Good line and length

Why do people think a plastic tape will hold their balance?

Full Facial

So two excellent races from the weekend, enjoy the galleries and make sure if you've not got your photos from races back in last September you do so pronto, because they are about to go.

See you at the G3, Nuts Challenges, Steyning Stinger and the Berkhampstead half marathon next weekend - it's going to be another busy one !

Until next time,

Anthony