Just get through December and then into 2017

Kevin B of Crowborough Runners taking a rest day around Brighton before his own race last weekend 

With the local conclusion to the Sussex Racing league http://sspimg.com/sussexRRL2016 - that's pretty much the end of the local county Road Racing season for the faster ones and the club competitions for 2016. With the temperature dropping like the proverbial stone it's time to start wrapping up, hitting the gym and getting through the winter training regime, also known as Cross Country !! The local leagues here in Sussex are already two races down in the four meetings of that season - and have had very pleasant weather for it so far.

We haven't covered any races this weekend just gone - and the Crowborough 10k apparently was a good run out this year (but I did cover the school play with video - and can recommend this editing suite - it's free http://sspimg.com/davinciresolveeditor and frankly amazing)

Running in Thongs at Seaford 10, as the Australians call them...

Next weekend 

is the sold out Seaford Striders Mince Pie 10, and the AAT Guildford Hogs Back which still has a few entries available - so enter that now http://sspimg.com/hogs-back-entry-2016 so we're looking forwards to seeing you there ! Don't forget the tinsel fancy dress...

The early part of the Hogs Back Road race - before the hills, or the proper fancy dressers

The last races in December are:

The Reigate Holly Run - Sunday the 11th December - used to be massive, still a great course and all age groups from juniors through to seniors - http://sspimg.com/RPAC-Holly-Run-Entry

The start of the Holly Run - one of the junior races

And Brutal Longmoor - on New Years Eve - just down the A3, because you'll be going stir crazy after Christmas and you will need a run out http://sspimg.com/Brutal-Run-Entry before going back to work aren't you! And you can earn a party night out afterwards....

One day they will wear fancy dress to a Brutal Race.

So whats up next in 2017?

We're really looking forwards to the new gallery hosted on Photoshelter we have been busy putting in holding galleries for the currently confirmed races so far for January and February - check them out here:

http://sspimg.com/2017-Events (and did you see all the other years of images now loaded on there... all of 2016 is on there so time for those last minute Christmas gifts ?)

We'll be getting into setting up the busy March races on the gallery soon too, but here's a quick link to get your entries in for the big ones on the busiest of all days - the 19th of March - one month before the popular Southampton (enter here) and London Marathons on the 23rd of April.

Just be careful if you enter Southampton with your partner - things happen !

Call for Entries - before they are full - here's two of the more popular races that will get sold out before you realise after Christmas - so get in now !

The Brooks Fleet Pre-London Half Marathon - closed road speed

The Brooks Fleet Pre-London Half Marathon - raising funds to build new local running club and track facilities this Half Marathon is one of the eminent pre-London warm up races which attracts a large local field from clubs, teams, running, Military and fitness groups with a great many charity runners. It is ALWAYS sold out with 3500 max entries - with a closed road course and a 3hr time limit - its a eternal favourite - so don't get caught in the post-Christmas rush and get it now here:

http://sspimg.com/Fleet-Half-2017-Entries

You too will look this cool at the Winter nuts challenge. Ok, this cold. My Mistake.

The Nuts Challenge Winter Series

It's the toughest OCR of the year, with very few completing 4 laps of the energy sapping super massive multi obstacle course. It's Nuts. http://sspimg.com/Nuts-Winter-2017-entry
I'm reliably told that one lap is "Plenty thank you", and quite good fun with your friends from the club (whichever that club is).

In other news - live videos
we're going to try to do more live videos during races - hopefully during the starts and depending on power available - at the finish. We used to do loads, but fell out of practice.
Live streaming is certainly "now a thing" on useful places like facebook and youtube so we're going to do a bit more experimenting and see what we can bring you if we have a good enough 4G signal.
Please subscribe to our youtube channel here : http://sspimg.com/SSP-Youtube and if anything is going on - they you'll be the first to know ! (heaven forbid we end up the next great youtubers - if that is actually a thing).

Here's our little broadcast from Not the Brighton 10k last weekend... https://youtu.be/T39ydlpsdns


I know there was something deeper and more meaningful I was going to write here - but that clearly missed me, so enjoy the last few days before we start the crazy christmas pressure, I hope you enjoy browsing the entire 2016 gallery that is now loaded and reminisce on your running year so far -  http://sspimg.com/new-SSP-gallery  The usual side effect is that it makes you happy - so take the chance to make this a long term thing and get yourself or your friends a permanent reminder.

until next time
Anthony

The ETL 3 Molehills and not the Brighton 10k 2016

Everything went off smoothly at the Events to Live 3 Molehills run - three relay legs across the Surrey Hills near Denbies Vinyard and Box Hill. Teams of three or various combinations of that or even solo runners took on the different distances and climbs. Some even made it up from Brighton in time to enter on the day.

People from Clapham chasing each other at the Start of the ETL 3 Molehills

At Brighton on the coast the back end of Storm Angus prevented any road cones and barriers from staying in the right place - making it impossible to secure the race route. 

By 7am on advice from the council over the road closure the Brighton 10k was cancelled, despite everyone's very best efforts from very early in the morning (3:30am) tring to solve things.

Other small details would also have impacted the race taking place - for example the temporary toilets couldn't stand up in the wind - and with no toilets - the race would not have complied with the Race license, or the debris blowing up from the beach in Hove which made it frankly dangerous.

Not giving thanks to Storm Angus.

Race Director Keith Donno said he would talk to the council about the possibility of rescheduling, but they had already told him that road closures take months to book and agree with various Public Agencies and services (aka blue lights, maintenance etc), plus Madeira drive is regularly booked by events, so he thought it would need considerable luck to bring anything in for 2016. Keep an eye on the facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/brooksbrighton10k/

The Marina wall took a battering, and this was at low tide

The race Galleries from last week are now here:

Date	Event	Gallery or event link
Sun-20-11-2016	ETL Molehills	http://bit.ly/ETL-Molehills-Gallery-2016
Sun-20-11-2016	Brighton 10k	http://bit.ly/Brighton-10k-Gallery-2016  links to 2015 and 2014 galleries are on this page
last weekend
Sat-12-11-2016	Brutal Spider Hill	http://bit.ly/Brutal-Spider-Hill-Gallery-2016
Sun-13-11-2016	PP Grand Union Half	http://bit.ly/PP-Grand-Union-Half-Gallery-2016
.	.	.
Next Races
Sun-04-12-2016	Seaford Mince Pie	http://www.seafordstriders.org.uk/mincepie.html
Sun-04-12-2016	The Hogs Back	http://aat-events.com/race/hogs-back-road-race
Sun-11-12-2016	HollyRun	https://www.rpac.org.uk/index.php/2015-02-28-17-16-06/the-holly-run
Sat-31-12-2016	Brutal Longmoor	http://brutalrun.co.uk/race/longmoor/
Sun-01-01-2017	Serpentine 10k	http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/nyd10k.html

If you want to see how rough the weather was on the Brighton Seafront at around 9am when the runners would have been standing about in the cold - have a look at the video on facebook that we broadcast live.

https://www.facebook.com/UKSportPhoto/videos/10155636306014062/

The entire race route was a scene of utter and complete devastation from Storm Angus.
Perhaps I should have put it back upright ? (only for it to get blown over again).

Arena 80 express their disappointment with the weather

Nice to see the Battels from Crowborough on a bit of sightseeing

Meanwhile, inland conditions were very different. and by Inland, I mean about 100meters, the next block across, not very far away but not on the coast road. Anyway, in Dorking it was like this with no rain at the 3 Molehills...

Nobody ever buys these sort of pictures apparently

everything looking good for a double thumbs up on the last leg in

The bridge to the hill. Better than the wade across the river...

James Baker went long and wasn't going to be at Brighton 

looking strong after the Box Hill stage

Pudsey Fundraising, or still in Pyjamas ?

Strong finishing into the last corner

Autumn arrived with plenty of colour

"watch out there's something behind you"

Good company around the three stage course

flying down to the finish at Denbies Vinyard and some chocolate

spotted the photographer !

All's well that ends well then  !!

Launching onto Photoshelter

In the meantime I hope you're having a good time looking at our new Photoshelter Gallery which includes our entire 2016 event coverage, we're going to announce a competition shortly - so have a good look at this years races on there so far and get a feel for what it can do - in particular - the ability to create permanent collections in lightboxes in your account name.

Until Next time, (which is the Hogs Back and Mince Pie 10 in two weeks time) look after yourselves and have a good weeks training - mind the rain.

Anthony

Grand Union Canal Half and Brutal Spider Hill 2016 now live

Brutal Spider Hill 2016 - A Finishing has never been so much fun ! No it wasn't electrified.

The 2016 Purple Patch Grand Union Canal Half Marathon and the Brutal Spider Hill Run are now live and online on the usual gallery - AND also on the New Gallery !

New Gallery
We've been working away in the background all year to put the entire 2016 and future race galleries onto a new gallery provider, Photoshelter. Unfortunately after 41.5Million image views since records begun, our current gallery providers have changed the services that they are going to provide (changing more towards corporate image handling, not image selling), so after a year's testing of lots of alternative solutions we are delighted to announce that Photoshelter provide the most user friendliness for our type of Customers - i.e. you ! so we've gone with them.

Enjoy the clearer layout, simpler checkout, clearer large image preview, and try out the new lightbox function to keep your own favourite collections on the gallery, the ability to share with friends, and the simple checkout with Paypal.

At the end of 2016 we are going to direct gallery.sussexsportphotography.com to the new website service, so you will still be able to find and search for your favourite images - from the whole of 2016, which is a much better solution than only having a 3 months archive.

The new gallery will mean you will need to create new accounts, because we can't move them from one company gallery provider to a totally different company. Sorry about that, law and things getting in the way and protecting your personal data...

As always, if you are even in doubt - just go to www.SussexSportPhotography.com and click through to your gallery from there as that will always go to the most up to date place.

If you want to go back to see any photos from 2016, then this is where to go http://uksp.photoshelter.com/gallery-list

And why is there "UKSP" on the front of that web address ?- that's because we are UK Sport Photography Ltd, although we trade as Sussex Sport Photography.

So here's the latest list of gallery links, check out the new gallery and let us know what you think !
We are accepting orders on that gallery - and prices are identical - please bear in mind that VAT is excluded before checkout - because we sell internationally we don't know the right VAT to add until we have your address... There's EU laws about tax collection on digital products that affects this too, but frankly that's waaay to complex for this blog.

Date	Event	Current Gallery Link	New Gallery Link
New Race Galleries
Sat-12-11-2016	Brutal Spider Hill	http://bit.ly/Brutal-Spider-Hill-Gallery-2016	http://uksp.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2016-11-12-Brutal-Spider-Hill/C0000x_m7Wzm4nGY
Sun-13-11-2016	PP Grand Union Half	http://bit.ly/PP-Grand-Union-Half-Gallery-2016	http://uksp.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2016-11-13-PP-Grand-Union-Half-Marathon/C00007.Q7ymc2EK8
Last Weeks Galleries
Sun-06-11-2016	LBVCR	http://bit.ly/LBVCR-2016-Gallery	http://uksp.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/2016-11-06-Veteran-Car-Run/C0000V_mX52iebQ4
Future Galleries (links to race websites are on the gallery pages)
Sun-20-11-2016	ETL Molehills	http://bit.ly/ETL-Molehills-Gallery-2016	.
Sun-20-11-2016	Brighton 10k	http://bit.ly/Brighton-10k-Gallery-2016	.
Sun-04-12-2016	Seaford Mince Pie	http://bit.ly/Seaford-Mince-Pie-Gallery-2016	.
Sun-04-12-2016	The Hogs Back	http://bit.ly/Hogs-Back-Gallery-2016	.
Sun-11-12-2016	HollyRun	http://bit.ly/Holly-Run-Gallery-2016	.
Sat-31-12-2016	Brutal Longmoor	http://bit.ly/Brutal-Longmoor-Gallery-2016	.
Sun-01-01-2017	Serpentine 10k	http://bit.ly/Serpentine10k-2017-Gallery	.

We're busy planning 2017, and putting placeholders into the gallery which will be much easier to navigate and see where we are going to be - with links to event webpages if you want to enter and come and join us !

Brutal Spider Hill

One of the wetter days we have had up on the hill in the wind. It meant a bit of messing about with lens directions and hats, but overall we did a pretty good job of keeping the kit functioning and delivering clear crisp images ! 

Well done to you all on completing it on what was one of the colder days of the year with two major water dips thrown in as well as the muddy bogs...

Good opportunities to have a bit of a sprint

Man conquers mud !

double thumbs for getting the hell out of the bog

It's ok, he's not forcing me

Capturing his best side, since 10am

Her friend was more shocked about it than she was

Fetch Batman

And then right there, he started the dance of the sugar plum faries...

What more of a day out with your friends can you want

always a helping and sympatheic bunch

It was his idea...

excuse me...

All good with 2k left to go, still got it.

Colour co-ordinated top, gloves and leggings, and probably the only Poppy that survived the course

confused of fleet

The locals came out and enjoyed the day too in their usual way

Purple Patch Grand Union Canal

Another fine and crisp day for a flat run along the canal to take in the fantastic views through the Uxbridge nature reserves.

Low winter background sun makes it very tricky at some locations - reflectors help to get some light back onto the shadowy faces, nevertheless we still managed to get some fantastic coverage along the course of everyone having a wonderful morning out !

Well done to Chris and Claire on another wonderful event from the www.PurplePatch.com stables

Quite a lot of hills on the course, about this big.

Good work from 69

Steady focus in the Hill Climbing

All relaxed at the finish mat as she acknowledged the crowd

At 2 miles it's still fun

A big entry from Tiptree - looking forwards to seeing their orders !

A friendly wave along the towpath bank

Ealing Eagle having a soaring time

Stopping for a moment

A very balletic Bolt that seems to work !

Surrendering with 1 mile to go

Californian Sun

Just calming down the excited crowds at the finish

This weekend coming is the Brighton 10k, make sure your barcode can be seen clearly and is not creased or folded - and then we can get the gallery online for you super-quick !

The forecast for Sunday is torrential rain - so make sure you have your number on the outside of your coat as well...

Any feedback or thoughts about the new gallery please to me on info@sussexsportphotography.com it's always good to hear peoples thoughts especially when we are going through such a large transition.

Until Next Time - enjoy the training

Anthony