On Sunday whilst other Harriers were running in Westminster and Edinburgh I was adjudicating the Rye 10 held in the nearby village of Peasmarsh. As it was a race I had not run previously I entered and was the only Harrier running it apart from Duncan Ralph who was running in a Tonbridge AC vest.
Nice-Work organised the race and published it as a challenging 10 mile race. Sunday morning was rather warm and the humidity was high due to the previous night’s storm. Having turned up I was having second thoughts as to whether it was a good idea or not to run it. Anyway I collected my number which was funnily enough number 120. So I thought 120 mins that’s 8 minute a mile pace I’ll go for that.
The start was pretty close to where we set off from on the last run out lunch that I set from there at Jempsons Supermarket Peasmarsh. Consequently it was a short down from the car park and then off up the lane in the direction of Beckley Woods.
The route followed the lanes for three and a half miles then it encompassed a three mile loop off in the direction of Beckley before heading back along the three and a half miles to the finish. It seemed that one was continually running up hill and the sting in the tail was at about eight miles where you passed the drive to Paul McCartney’s Rye residence which is more or less at the bottom of a large dip and which you have to climb out of on the way back. One runner passed me on the way out and remarked they call this the seven hills race!
I have to say I have driven these lanes quite a bit and run some parts in the past with John Lee but running the ten miles all on the road was a bit different. There were however a couple of saving graces. A lot of the run was under the trees so the shade which did make it cooler. The other thing is that about the last mile is more or less all downhill to the finish.
Anyway given the temperature and the challenging course I was rather pleased in my first race as an M65 to find myself crossing the line in 1.18.44 in 19th place and first M65. Dare I say I also beat the first lady home something that I haven’t done for some time.
Duncan had a good run and was pleased with his time as well given the conditions. He was 3rd M50.
It was a lovely route through the East Sussex countryside and pretty low key with just over a hundred running. Last year it was the Sussex 10 mile championship race and attracted over 200 runners. Maybe a good race to have a Harriers team in next year.
Chip Time Results
| 1st | Neil Smith | M45 | Unattached | 59.54 | |
| 19th | Mark Taylor | M65 | TWH | 1.18.44 | |
| 28th | Duncan Ralph | M50 | Ton AC | 1.25.14 | |
| 33rd | Claire Lippiatt | F40 | Unattached | 1.27.56 | 1st Lady |
There were 104 finishers