Chichester Runners make strong start to West Sussex Fun Run League campaign

After the cancellation of the usual opening New Year’s Day Hangover 5 due to a waterlogged course, it was the popular Crawley five-miler which welcomed a field of nearly 400 runners on Sunday. See 31 great photos from the Crawley race here. Continuing his recent fine form over cross country and road running, it was Mike Houston who emerged clear of the field chased by another improving athlete Liam Briscoe, running for Fittleworth Flyers. After negotiating the paths of Tilgate Forest, Houston had established a clear lead of half a minute over Briscoe coming into the finish in 28min 6sec. After Briscoe was another Chichester runner, Mikeey Kwoka, beating the remainder of the field iinto third with his best run to date. Also gaining a top 20 spot and ensuring a maximum score of 30 bonus points from the trio was Jim Garland iin 17th, a fine run from one of the club’s good crop of vteran athletes. There followed anoher maximum bonus 10 points from each of the club’s top three females to finish, led home by Beccy Davis in 37th overall, fifth female, followed by Elizabeth Robinson 80th (F10) and Nadia Andreson 92nd (F14). In between was Stuart Loxton in 46th with the remainder of the 27 athlete squad comprising Matt de Lacy in 98th, Peter Sullivan 127th, Dave Reading 131st, Paivi Leivo 142nd (F36), Wim Amir 156th, Peter Dunne 157th, Sein Arnold 174th (F48), Sue Barty 189th (F54), Tracy Lockyear 200th (F59), Amanda Godfrey 203rd (F61), Catherine Betts 204th (F62), Jan Hill 212th, Andries Spies 217th, Tom Blaylock 223rd, Peter Anderson 234th, Wendy Whelan 241st (F84), Jeremy Harrison 247th, Guy Tremayne 265th, Tony Cooley 309th and Ian Stevens 316th. Chichester emerged with 116 match ponts out of a maximum 125 with only Horsham Joggers and Crawley Saints and Sinners ahead on 121 and 120 respectively. Next on the calendar in this league is the ever popular Lewes Easter Monday 10k on April 10, where team manager Peter Anderson will be aiming to assemble another good squad of athletes. Corporate Challenge There is less than a week before the opening race of the 2023 Chichester Corporate Challenge city centre road race series, with the first event next Wednesday (March 1). Entries are pouring in for the popular event in its 31st year having started in 1992, with just a Covid break in 2021 stopping its unbroken run. Those who have not already entered are encouraged to go on the club website – Chichester-runners.org.uk – and follow the link. There may be a few places available on the night but the advice is to get your entry in beforehand. Prices have been pegged at last year’s levels with seniors paying £17 for all three races and all juniors £9. Uni athletics Two of Chichester’s top student athletes have been once again making their mark in the British Universities and Colleges Championships (BUCS). Running in his final year for Loughborough University, Ned Potter finished an outstanding fourth in the men’s long course event, won by reigning English national cross country champion Mohamed Mohamed from Southampton. Runner-up in this year’s universities race was Potter’s Loughborough team-mate Matthew Stonier, who was third in last year’s national with a personal best of 3min 32.5sec for the 1500m, set in the final of last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Against such high-class opposition, Potter was delighted to finish a mere 15 seconds behind the winner for the tough 10k course in 32min 32sec. In the same race, running for Kings College London, Chichester’s Will Broom showed good form in 25th after an enforced two-month break from racing after setting one of the fastest laps at the National Cross Coutry relays in November. There is a possibility that one or both of the stars may be able to get down to Chichester for at least one of the Corporate Challenge races – which begin next Wednesday – with both capable of challenging Chris Zablocki’s course record with the right conditions.