Canterbury Half Marathon, and Free downloads for Arundel 10k and REP Adur swim 2014

Just a quick one as we are all working to a 4 day weekand we need to keep this punchy and to the point !

Race	Gallery link
Canterbury Half Marathon 2014 results: http://www.resultsbase.net/Results/IndividualResults.aspx?Id=2217	http://bit.ly/Canterbury-Half-2014-Photo-Gallery
Arundel Castle 10k 2014	Free Downloads http://bit.ly/Arundel-10k-2014-Photo-Gallery
Raw Energy Pursuits - River Adur Swim 2014	Free Downloads http://bit.ly/REP-Adur-Swim-Festival-2014-Photo-Gallery

So that was the end of the summer wasn't it ? Saturday's race was a lovely meet at the River Adur with Raw Energy Pursuits for their  2.5km and 3.5km swims - the sun shone, people swam, everyone smiled. A great outing with the REP team and with excellent safety backup as ever. Their last race of the season is the 10k and half marathons at Firle - really these are races you should not miss out on.
http://www.rawenergypursuits.co.uk/events/firle-half-marathon-and-10km-trail-run/

Mick checks the swimmers know what they are doing

Sunday was a perfect temperature for fast Arundel 10k running, and with the extra hilly loop to make up for the drawbridge being closed to the castle (a bit wobbly at the moment apparently),  that made for the perfect extra location to get some shots with the tower in the background. The course does go around some scenic valleys - but at 7k the field still hasn't split up enough for good thorough coverage of all the runners so we spared you shots of people suffering up the steep slope...

Up and around the grounds of Arunde Castle at the 1k mark

Results and information is here: http://www.arundelscouts.org.uk/10k/
448 finishers this year - so numbers looking good as ever, and James Baker took it home in 34:16 - the hill work in training paying off as ever for him.

The ladies winner Maria Heslop (38:44) was busy on Monday at the Canterbury Half Marathon... doing a good impression of first lady there in 1:25:18

The river along the road I sat in most of yesterday at Caterbury. It was only raining a bit.

So Sunday was officially the last day of Summer, with the first day of Autumn and temperatures below 16degreesC all day, rain all day, and hardy people starting the Half Marathon season.
The Results for the Canterbury Half Marathon are here: http://www.resultsbase.net/Results/IndividualResults.aspx?Id=2217  where you can get your race number to search for your race pictures (it is also on the Nice work blog site, but the column width is too narrow to show you the bib number column).

So, having just seen the latest post by Basingstoke half marathon on their return to the office after the bank holiday - as I predicted last week - get your autumn race entries in - as now everyone else is starting to do that too - so avoid the rush and don't miss out !!

Half and Marathon Races to Enter this Autumn
Here's a quick list of half marathons you should be considering - and a few major ones you shouldn't be missing out on. Major races are more than 1500 people and they will sell out - so don't miss out and get in before the back-to-school rush kicks in.

Coming in September - entries sell out soon
7th Sept: Purple Patch Maidenhead Half (Major area race, closed roads) NB will sell out

14th Sept: Events to Live - Bacchus Half and Full - off road trail + wine NB has sold out
14th Sept: REP Firle, sussex, Half Marathon (free photos) - off road trail

21st Sept: Farnham Pilgrim Half and Full - off road trail
21st Sept: Run Reigate Half Marathon (Major Area race, closed roads) NB will sell out

28th Sept: Ealing Half Marathon (Major Area race, closed roads) NB will sell out
28th Sept: Tonbridge Half Marathon - some closed roads

October
5th Oct: Basingstoke Half (Major Area race, closed roads) NB will sell out
12th Oct: Chichester Half - road and trail
19th Oct: Abingdon Marathon (flattest and fastest with PB potential)
25th Oct: Beachy Head Marathon (not flat, not fast, offroad) NB will sell out
8th Nov: Bexhill Poppy Half Marathon
9th Nov: Purple Patch Grand Union Half Marathon NB will sell out
16th Nov: Brighton 10k (Major Area race, closed roads) NB will sell out

Dancing towards the water

making sure you look good for your coroners photo

Marshals having fun at the swim exit

mind your step ! - miraculously didn't go over

It's a family affair !

Straight up the hill and out the top

Round past the tower on the way out

Back in after the 7k hill (again). Doesn't hurt.

Monty Python Holy grail dance, or is it a Mobot fest ?

This is not Paula. It's Kathryn.

Chicked

Ed made it round in a respectable 51:10

This is not Daniel Radcliffe.

The unique "scorpion shadow" wave

No Surrender at Canterbury

Good to see a Run Reigate Half Marathon Tshirt - don't forget to enter !

1 k into the race,  jazz hands going well

Best double thumbs up of the day for the win at the finish !

He can't believe it either !! Excellent finish at Canterbury

 In other news we now have been asked to provide coverage for the Hastings Half Marathon 2015 and the Fleet Half Marathon in 2015, so we are naturally delighted to have been invited and look forwards to seeing you there in the Spring Half Marathon season...
Get your early entries in here: http://www.sportsystems.co.uk/ss/event/HastingsHalfMarathon1234
Entries for Fleet open in October....

So - well done to everyone who competed at the weekend, really lovely to see you out and about as ever !
Good luck to everyone in the Nuts challenge on the weekend - I hope you're prepared for it - it's going to be a muddy one !!

Until next time
Anthony

Pic2Go now available in the UK

It's not very often that I get to put out press releases, but when you do, you have to give them a bit of a kick sometimes and an encouraging hug and a wave as they go on their way.

If you're a reasonably regular reader then you might have noticed our new pic2go technology  being mentioned here and there - well wait no more, here's the official first press release on these little black squares:

warning - items may appear larger than necessary - they only need to be 35mm sq !

Press release: 20/08/2014 – For immediate release

Sussex Sport Photography brings exclusive Pic2Gotechnology to the UK

Sussex Sport Photography has announced the acquirement of the exclusive UK license for Pic2Go, a Patent Pending Technology offering instant publishing of event photos through social media.

Pic2Go has been referred to as a ‘Pioneer Solution Provider for sponsored race photography’ and is leading the way in social media photo marketing. Features of Pic2Go include automated race photo-tagging using the unique Pic2Go 2D barcode technology and instant posting of branded photos to participants’ Facebook pages.

Managing Director Anthony Bliss commented:”We are excited to have been chosen as the exclusive UK Licensee and Reseller for Pic2Go and to bring this pioneering social sharing technology to the UK market. Pic2Gotechnology revolutionises the way that event participants can interact with their friends and followers online with real-time posting during an event. The speed of interaction adds a huge value forparticipants, eventorganisersand charities alike.

“Pic2Go is also a great tool for sponsor recruitment with the technology driving interactive sponsor engagement, wide social reach, brand awareness and increased fan acquisition. We are also able to promote future events through the technology, which adds a new dimension to instant awareness, direct engagement and follower encouragement to get involved.

“Event photography powered by Pic2Go will change the UK events market landscape significantly and we are looking forward to some exciting times ahead.”

The Pic2Go technology is available in the UK exclusively through Sussex Sport Photography, a leading UK Sport Photography Agency and commercial image library founded in 2003 and based in West Sussex.

Events that are using the Pic2Go system will encourage participantsto register for the free service prior to the eventwith their race number. Their bib contains the unique 2D bar code technology that the Pic2Go system will automatically recognise and create a free and unique personal branded album for all registered participants, ensuring a wide and real-time social media reach during the event and guaranteeing a large number of Facebook impressions.

International races using Pic2Go technologyinclude Moscow Marathon, Malta Marathon, Bucharest International Half Marathon, Japanese Saroma 100K Ultra Marathon, The Color Run Romania and Jerusalem Marathon.

Race directors and event organisersin the UK who wish to discuss the technology and obtain further details should go towww.pic2go.co.uk , email info@SussexSportPhotography.com or call 01273 833331.

END

Pic2Go technology on the front of race numbers

Editor’s notes:

1. Sussex Sport Photography is a leading UK Sport Photography Agency and commercial image library founded in 2003, coveringover 140 events a year across the UK. 
2. Sussex Sport Photography is the exclusive UK Licensee and technology reseller for Pic2Go, a Patent Pending Technology for sponsored race photography and social media photo marketing. 
3. International sponsors of Pic2Go Technology at events so far have included Vodafone, Samsung, Gillette, adidas, Orange and Coca-Cola. 
4. Sussex Sport Photography is the trading name for UK Sport Photo Ltd.

Yes - that's really the end !

So if you want to see what these little black squares look like close up we will be bringing them to an event near you in the very near future - The Nuts Challenge, Bacchus Full and Half Marathon, Run Reigate Half Marathon, Maidenhead Half Marathon, Ealing Half Marathon, and the Chestnut Tree House Littlehampton 10k too.

And remember - we do need to see them nice and clearly, no folding or pins through them thank you !

Clear and readable - they don't take up much space at all

Just as long as we can see the barcode - even flappy race numbers are overcome

Swim hats are good places to stick them

two barcodes in this one - making cataloguing swimming photos easier than before

They work at a surprisingly good range - allowing more creative and contextual photos to be taken

Soon (next week) I'll announce the winner of our little survey - here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZNQJ5PS  so this is your last chance to have a go - there's good odds on the moment of you winning something !

Many thanks for all the support over the years - we wouldn't have got to this point without you all,

Until next time (at the River Adur, Arundel 10k or Canterbury Half Marathon this weekend)

have a great bank holiday !

Anthony

Brutal Minley 2014 now live

Brutal Minley, aka: "The Dry One" took place on Saturday, with perfect weather inside and outside the woods - some people thought that this might be the easiest of all the Brutal Runs due to the lack of mud and water.
Well they were wrong !

Race Details	Gallery link
Brutal Minley results - http://brutalrun.co.uk/results/minley/	http://bit.ly/Brutal-Minley-2014-Photo-Gallery

With 444 competitors and associated supporters and assorted Canine running companions taking on the 5k, 10k or 20k challenge it was a very busy field for the morning.

Set amongst the fields, hills, dry ditches and bridges (yes you read that right), the course winds its way over, up, along and down several times along the ridges and dips that make up the Minley military exercise area.

There's a quick selection of images below to help you get a feeling for the atmosphere before and out on the course, one thing I didn't get any shots of was the post-race BBQ and food for the volunteers - because I was eating it, but it does highlight the benefits of volunteering at these sort of events - over and above the satisfaction of shouting "encouragement" at runners and pointing them in the right direction (both physically and metaphorically). 

I strongly encourage anyone who can't run for whatever reason to get volunteering at a race - no it won't be frustrating as you'll be busy, and if you are stuck out in the middle of nowhere marshalling and feeling a bit bored - it's as exciting as you make it, and as a runner you know that your being there is always appreciated.

Future race highlights - just a few for you to prioritise 

Get your entries sorted out before the end of holiday rush for

The Adidas Run Reigate - Half Marathon - 21st of September

and Ealing Half Marathon on 28th of September

One is closed roads around the countryside, one is closed roads around the community - you should be able to figure out which is which and pick the one that suits you the best !

FYI - Bacchus has already sold out, so don't say I didn't warn you.... 

Don't miss out on the Abingdon Marathon if you want a fast and flattest possible PB chance, and then of course there is Beachy Head Marathon, if you want anything but fast and flat...

Pic2Go Barcodes for Race numbers

We have begun to use the new Pic2Go technology for race number identification and also to work with selected sponsors and events to use it's social sharing capability.

As a runner - please make sure you show your race number on the front - not your leg, the side, your back or under a race belt, rucksack or anything else other than your front !
Also - if you are a number cruncher (i.e. you snowball up your race number and then unfold it because it makes the number more pliable against your t-shirt), you should know that will stop it working too...

The best advice I have is to pin your number as high up as is reasonably possible on your tshirt. That will stop it folding about, it won't restrict your motion, and use 4 pins or holders - one in each corner.

Talking of making things faster, Using the pic2go barcodes for the near 18,000 images from Brutal Minley were indexed and catalogued before Sunday Lunchtime. This is about 50% faster than before, and removed about 12 hours hard labour here in the office on a weekend. Whilst the technology costs us about the same to use as manual tagging - it does get everything done and sorted a lot lot faster. We do of course then have to correct all the ones that can't be read because computers are not geniuses (arms, legs, and everything else in the way, or the number not shown on the front) and then we can get them onto the gallery as fast as possible.

Dave briefs everyone before the start

This is what lay ahead...

Green Tshirts were optional

Over ditches this time not under them

The face of disappointment as the ditch had a footbridge

This is what the crazy hills can do to you

Even the Canines had a bit of hill climbing crazy face

Spotted the way over the bridge

This is another way over the bridge

Through the shadowy woods

Short sharp sprint climbs up some banks

Make it easy for yourself they said...

Yes - almost to the top of the last hill !

Hats off for Finishing his first Brutal 5k 

Good running - and even the dogs get shoes these days !

So, well done everyone at Brutal for another well organised event, Allan, Dave, Colin, and even Rory who was riding around the course checking it and who gave me his map after I had passed mine on to someone else.

A busy bank holiday three race weekend with some swimming in the Adur, the Arundel 10k and the Canterbury Half Marathon.
And for those of you who like to know the passing of time - yes the eldest will be 7 this week too... now where has that time gone ?

Until next time, get your race entries in before they close !

Anthony