2007 NEWS

Super Vets!!

1946 was a good year for Horsham Joggers!! It was the year Shirley Hamilton, Sandra Curtis and Dave Maurice were born. Between them they have given 64 years of service to HJ. Dave being a founder member, and Shirley and Sandra with 22 years membership. What have they achieved over those years?

Shirley Hamilton started her running career with the Women's Own 10km series of races. She has taken part in 3 London Marathons (PB 4 hrs-30 min), approximately 10 Seven Sisters marathons, 9 Barns Green's, and numerous ½ marathons. She has also taken part in several international relay runs. I should also point out that Shirley was a very active member of the Social side of the club.

Although Shirley gave up competitive running some time ago she still runs/trains every week, and is an avid follower of the summer Pub runs and organises the yearly Pub Run end of season meal. She won Pub Runner of the year 8 times, and has the tankards to prove it!!

Sandra Curtis
When asked about her running profile, Sandra's immediate response was " a little bit slimmer now than when I started"! Again she started 22 years ago, jogging and walking round pitches in Horsham Park with Dave Bridges as mentor, together with a whole load of other women being encouraged by sponsorship from Nike and Woman's Own to start running 10ks. Sandra completed (i.e. ran all the way !) this race in 58 mins plus and was in the top third-next year she ran 54 mins and was in the lower half of the race-women's running was taking off! Running to her has always been happy or funny memories rather than completed log books and lists of races and times. She did go in search of her big old cardboard box of medals to refresh her memory, but thinks it is still buried somewhere in the garage. The only filled in log book was of her London Marathon in 2000 (it had taken eight years to get in) showing a time of 4 hrs 58.52. There was a lot of mention of long torturous runs with Ray, Peter, Sue G and even Alan Kirkham and Hamish Brownlie. There have been four or five Barns Greens, and only one was over the two hours! Her best 1/2 Marathon time was 1hr 47.27 at Chichester when Jack Shelton had come back to give encouragement, after he had finished of course ! Favourite races have been the Para's 10 at Aldershot - all participants have to be frisked first!. She also remembers with fondness the Seven Sisters Marathons - a great day out, once you have finished! She completed numerous Fun Run League runs, just to earn extra points for the club - and have a good lunch out with running friends. There have been winning ways and prizes, especially when she upset the locals in a Cornish village by coming in as the first vet lady- because the local drag had always won the prize before!!As a club member she has been the holder of the Glen O'Connell cup and pub runner of the year - she has experienced running all over Germany, Holland, France, Belgium and to Prague in the Czech Republic with our Dutch and German friends on our long distance Relay Runs.

Dave Maurice
Dave Bridges also got Dave into running while they were watching his daughter Denise having coaching lessons in Horsham Park, DB invited DM to come along and have a go, it was about a year later that the joggers amongst us decided to pull away from Blue Star Harriers and form our own club, HJ was born, the best thing we ever did said DM. Dave has taken part in 3 London Marathons (PB 3hr-16min) 4 Worthing 20's, 4 Hermanslauf's 30,3 Km, about 25 ½ Marathons Numerous other events. One other aspect of the clubs activities that Dave looks after is its association with the twinning arrangements with Germany and France. Dave has been looking after the twinning side of the club since 1988, we have had many running and social exchanges with not only TG Lage in Germany but some very good friends from a Dutch running club LDG Deurne, over the years we have had over 100 different people from HJ visit Lage and Deurne, Dave along with other club members were invited to taken part in relay runs to St. Johann (Austria), Cressier (Switzerland), Praga (Checklovacia, Barth (East Germany), he helped coordinate HJ own relay runs to St. Maixent (France) and to Lage (Germany) and a cycle tour to St Johan (Austria). The last relay run in 2002 around Holland had a truly international flavour, 16 runners from HJ. 12 from LGD Deurne Holland, & 4 runners from Germany this was a great international event, between us we raised 5.5k Euros for a Hospital/school that cared for children & adults with mental and physical handicaps in Deurne.

Sandra, Shirley & David would like to say a big "Thank you" to Horsham Joggers for the great friendships/experiences they have developed over these many years and to say that we are not finished yet !! A cycle tour of Belgium is planned for 2007, which all three will be taking part..

SGP Brighton Half
Sunday’s Sussex Beacon Half Marathon saw more league points for Horsham Joggers in a very promising start to the season. The dry overcast skies were a direct contrast to last year’s drving winds and rain, making for perfect conditions. James Baker of Chichester (1.08) overturned 2006’s result beating Lewis’ Robbie James by a clear 3mins into second place, with Ed Barnett of Aldershot a close third. Gill Wheeler of Hailsham Harriers won the ladies’ event in 1.21, closely followed by Kaye Mansbridge and Ulla Korenjak (Ryde Harriers). Keith Valentine flew home in 1.21.40, seeing him first Horsham Jogger and once again clinching the 1st V50 prize. Valentine said he “was chuffed to bits, the crowd were brilliant. This, his best time in 5years, is a massive statement of his intentions and shows his place as best V50 in the county will take some beating. Other great performances included personal bests from the ever improving Joggers contingent; Mark Greet 1.21.48, Gareth Leighton 1.24.02, Lucinda Graves (5th lady overall) 1.25.40, and marathon specialists David Sandham and Lisa Hussey (1.27.51 and 1.31.13 respectively.) All in all another great day for the local runners, starting as they mean to go on.

Mens overall
James Baker Chichester Runners 01:08:33
Robbie James Lewes AC 01:11:17
Ed Barnett Aldershot and Farnham 01:11:42
Ladies Overall
Gill Wheeler Hailsham Harriers 01:21:38
Kaye Mansbridge 01:23:37
Ulla Korenjak Ryde Harriers 01:24:24

Horsham Joggers Results
Keith Valentine 01:21:40 1st v50 best time for 5yrs
Mark Greet 01:21:48 pb
Gareth Leighton 01:24:02 pb
Lucinda Graves Sr Ladies Female 01:25:49 01:25:40 pb
David Sandham Sr Men Male 01:28:22 01:27:51 pb
Benjamin Ageros Sr Men Male 01:30:51 01:30:49
Lisa Hussey Sr Ladies Female 01:31:52 01:31:13 pb
Allan Clarke Sr Men Male 01:34:57 01:34:24
Gorden Reay Vet Men 40-49 Male 01:36:19 01:36:01
Peter Leuw Vet Men 40-49 Male 01:39:28 01:38:47
Chris Lalley Vet Men 40-49 Male 01:40:54 01:40:24
Alan Pettitt Vet Men 40-49 Male 01:41:21 01:40:42
Paul Armer Vet Men 40-49 Male 01:42:11 01:41:30
Martin Melaugh Sr Men Male 01:42:44 01:41:07
Keith Ayres Vet Men 40-49 Male 01:48:47 01:47:10
Tricia Evans Sr Ladies Female 02:02:35 01:58:57 pb
Joanna Campbell Sr Ladies Female 02:05:11 02:02:35

WSFRL Horsham Joggers Valentines Run
Sunday 11th Feb saw HJ's traditional Valentines Run take place once again in Southwater and we witnessed a record turnout for this event in the West Sussex Fun Run League. Hosts Horsham Joggers donated much of the proceedings to local charity the Springboard Project, providing help for children with special needs and their families. The 3.5 mile race over mixed terrrain consisting of woodland, quiet county roads and Downs Link began at 11am, by which time the off road sections had become something of a mudbath making conditions very challenging. Starting from Church Lane, the runners were lured into a false sense of security by a good solid piece of tarmac road before the fun began. Very shortly afterward the course cut into the woods with the field traversing a very churned up boggy path for a long mile until opening out onto gravel track once more. There was little time to dry off however as it was shortly back onto a sodden and muddy downs link to the welcome finish, with all those over the line resembling drowned rats! First to negotiate the course was Chichester’s James Baker (20.03) clear of the field by a good 1 ½ mins, followed James Walker of Steyning AC (21.45) and Horsham Joggers’ Pete O’Connell in third at 22.06. Rachel Ogden (23.29) and Sharon Harvey (25.13), both Worthing and District Harriers, finished first and second ladies followed by Camilla Neale (25.30) of Steyning AC. Daniel Holder (23.04), Alan Clarke (25.12) and Nik Tobutt (26.25) were the next three Horsham Joggers to finish with Jake Valentine O’Connell closely following in 26.54. Other Joggers competing were Val Purnell (29.35), Keith Ayres (29.41) and Paul and Katie Dow (29.42 and 32.52). Summing up a great morning, race organiser Nick Wood commented “It's simply the finest athletic event Sussex has to offer, top teas and the sun always shines!” A small exaggeration perhaps but a very enjoyable race nonetheless.
Results in Excel format

SGP Chichester 10k
A bright chilly morning in Chichester saw 36 Horsham Joggers take to the field in the opening race of the Sussex Grand Prix series. This large contingent again shows the local club's keenness to compete, as did the posting of some impressive times which will see them build on the success of last season. The flat 10k race was won by Tony Lambert of Alton Runners whose excellent time of 30.22 just beat Andrew Robinson (30.27) of Newham and Essex Beagles by the slimmest of margins. Pete O'Connell was the first Horsham Joggers home with a great sub 35m (34.51), closely followed by upcoming Daniel Holder who, if last year is any indication, looks set to pose a serious challenge to the club's top runners. Bryan Camfield (36.31), Flying Postman Ben Ageros (36.46), and Gareth Leighton (37.00) all flew round to streets in personal best times they can be very proud of. The womens' race was even closer as Linda Spencer of Chichester AC (34.39) beat Karen Hazlitt (Winchester AC) to the line by just 1 second. Lucinda Graves (40.20) was first Horsham lady to finish followed by experienced club runners Alison Gormley (42.15) and Mariann Powell (42.18), these two always running a keenly fought contest.

More photos to follow shortly.