Yesterday I ran the Weald Challenge 2019 Half Marathon with Harriers Hugh Stephenson, Jane Roome, Luke Edwardes-Evans, Rosie Harris, June Edwardes-Evans, Deborah Stamp and Helen Jenkins.
This is the sixth time I’ve ran this race, it’s not your usual Half Marathon, 75% off-road, closer to 14 miles than 13.1 with plenty of hills, stiles and some spectacular scenery. It heads north along the Wealdway to the meeting point at Blackboys, then returns south along the Vanguard Way back to Chiddingly. Conditions were good considering it’s June, not too hot with all this rain recently.
Last year’s winner, Dan Stent retained his title and won the event again. These are the 1st Male, Female and TWH times from chip the timing website…not sure how official these times are as the first F finished 11th, just behind me and I’m pretty sure she was not called Steve!
| Pos | Name | Time | Club |
| 1 | Dan Stent | 01:31:21 | Vegan Runners |
| 10 | Kelvin Desmoyers-Davis | 01:44:00 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 16 | Sue Fry (2nd F?) | 01:48:20 | Hailsham Harriers |
| 54 | Hugh Stephenson | 02:03:52 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 92 | Luke Edwardes-Evans | 02:16:46 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 162 | Jane Roome | 02:34:37 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 172 | Rosie Harris | 02:36:40 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 214 | June Edwardes-Evans | 02:51:32 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 215 | Deborah Stamp | 02:51:32 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 217 | Helen Jenkins | 02:52:56 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
Also, huge congratulations to the Harriers that set off earlier in the morning and ran the 50km edition of the Weald Challenge.
Kelvin
Following on from Kelvin’s report, five Harriers ran in the Weald 50km ultra yesterday. The course starts in Chiddingly and follows the Weald Way up to Kings Standing car park in Ashdown Forest (which is the highest point in Ashdown Forest), whereupon it follows the Vanguard Way back to Chiddingly. It was a beautiful scenic course. I hadn’t anticipated the course being signed, as it wasn’t when I ran the High Weald Challenge a few years ago, hence I had spent the last few weekends recceing the course. There were very detailed instructions to download from the website.
The route was, however, very well signed – impossible to go wrong. There were five well stocked aid stations. A well organised race that I would very much recommend, especially if anyone is looking for an introduction into ultra running. There were 190 finishers. Results below:
| Pos | Name | Time | Club |
| 1 | john witton | 04:16:10 | Sevenoaks AC |
| 37 | Tara Taylor | 05:20:41 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 52 | rob jones | 05:36:05 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 80 | jon hodge | 06:00:49 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 88 | simon allford | 06:06:54 | Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
| 165 | rose sawyer | 07:24:40 |
Tunbridge Wells Harriers |
Tara