Cross country, pole vault and marathons keep Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill athletes on toes

On a hilly course, at Coombe Farm, Lancing, conditions were not muddy but were rugged and hilly.

In the Vet Men 60 age group the team of Tim Hicks, Carl Bicknell and Eric Hepburn won a super bronze team medal with Hicks finishing in tenth place, Bicknell 18th and Hepburn 20th.

In the Vet Men 40 age group, the Harriers had three runners finish but needed a fourth to make up a team.

Had they a fourth runner they would have undoubtedly won a bronze team medal even if the last runner in the team had finished in last in the race.

Jamie Topping finished in tenth place, Ian Kenton 13th and Marcus Kimmins 24th.

In the ladies’ events the over-45s was the only age group where the Harriers ladies were able to field a full team.

They finished in fourth place overall with Jacqueline Barnes leading the team home in 16th place, followed by Sarah Hamilton in 17th and Emma Pryor in 19th.

Results: Men O40s: 10th Jamie Topping 28:22; 13th Ian Kenton 28:38; 24th Marcus Kimmins 31:40; Men O50’s: 9th Tim Miller 32:41; 28th Julian Boyer; Men O60’s: 10th Tim Hicks 34:42; 18th Carl Bicknell 38:59; 20th Eric Hepburn 39:55; 30th Michael Parish 47:06; Women O35: 20th Katherine Woolhouse 42:05; Women O45: 16th Jac Barnes 41:04; 17th Sarah Hamilton 41:57; 19th Emma Pryor 42:02; Women O55: 12th Jane Brewer 40:29; 21st Caroline Gumm 42:15.

Haywards Heath Harriers member Jessie Diack took part in her first pole vault competition.

The 12-year-old Oathall student has been training with Lewes AC, a top southern pole vaulting centre, for the past few months, coming to the sport as a complete beginner.

During winter months the training group use a farmer’s barn near Iford to practice in – and it was there, next door to the cows, where the official competition was held, Jessie getting a personal best and an under-13 Harriers club record with a first-time clearance of 1m 45cm.

At the Newhaven 10k two Harriers took park.

Harvey Alcock was first home in fifth in a PB of 35.04, followed by James Smyth in 38th, in a PB of 43.49.

Oliver Farr ran his 94th marathon and plans to reach 100 in May this year.

His latest was at Walton-on-Thames at the Phoenix Doughnut Dash.

Farr finished in 4hr 41min. Though it was a flat marathon alongside the Thames, the conditions were such that flippers would have been better than running shoes.

Carl Bicknell also ran at Walton but in a different marathon on a different day, the Phoenix Colliethon 2023.

He used it as a 20-mile easy training run and jog-walked the remaining distance.

His official time 4.47.52 and won a medal depicting a dog.

At the Dorney 10k race, Daniel Moll-Morgan finished in a time of 36min 56sec,

Burgess Hill Runners said goodbye to January in style with an ultra marathon, a half marathon and a spot of cross country.

Oliver Day and Jamie Goodhead travelled to Porthcurno in Cornwall for the Arc 50 – a point-to-point 50-mile race entirely along the Cornwall coast path National Trail.

Described as " only suitable for experiened ultra-runners’, it's a self-navigated event and not for the faint hearted.

Jamie finished the course in 12:39:50 and Oliver in 14:11:41.

At the latest Sussex Masters Crosss Country Championships, this time held at Coombes Farm in Lancing, Kirsty Phillpot finished in 34:12, Stuart Condie in 41:33 and John Palmer in 50:41.

Last but not least, Ella Stanbrook travelled up to London to take part in the Crystal Palace Half Marathon, finishing in 1:56:39.