Welcome to the latest edition of the Newsletter.

As I start drafting this up, we have recently finished a mesmeric day at Barns Green. As ever, our illustrious HJ’ers turned up in droves… running, pacing, supporting and generally being part of an extremely positive occasion. There were rumours a couple of years ago that the events at Barns Green may not be able to continue. Let’s hope the sell-out races and the money raised on the day this year mean it can carry on in the future. In my opinion it really is up there with the best running days this country (let alone county) has to offer.

For myself, it has been a somewhat perplexing quarter, full of emotions which have been filled with joy, then despair, then anger, and then hope. Our fabulous club chairman Ian Dickinson (and fabulous indeed is the word for him given the way he not only ran the HM at Barns Green but also helped support a fellow HJ’er over the line at the end) asked me to write a little piece about a race I ran (and won) in Corfu in August, which will follow this opener.

I’ve since that race suffered a fair bit – a recurring calf injury wiping out any intensive speedwork, track sessions and the longer social runs I so enjoy. I returned after the best part of a month out just about ‘ok’ to pace at Barns Green. But my time on the sidelines has reminded me what I already knew – that this club is simply the best and that we are surrounded by wonderful members. The thought of returning to see everyone was much needed when sat at home, frustrated and unable to run and watching the twelth repeat of series 4, episode 3 of Columbo.

Just one more thing (get it?) whilst on holiday, I read the autobiography of Roger Bannister called ‘Twin Tracks’.

There is to me a wonderful opening to one of the chapters which is perfect, and to which I’ve had to slightly chop down but the essence I’ve tried to retain. It reads:-

“Just like any explanation of the things we enjoy – like the description of a rose to someone who has never seen one – attempts at analysis of the joy of running are never adequate. It is not just the desire to succeed, there is also the desire to find a companionship with kindred people. I have found all of these. Paradoxically, the sportsman enjoys his sport even if he has absolutely no prospect of becoming a champion. For nearly ten years I ran about twenty-five miles a week. The more I ran, the longer my list of reasons for running grew. Running through mud and rain is never boring. I found in running – win or lose – a deep satisfaction that I could not express in any other way.  However strenuous our work or home life may be, running brings more pleasure. It brings a freedom and challenge which cannot be found elsewhere.”

I think Roger Bannister has summarised the emotions we feel as runners pretty well here.

Onwards we march (or run, or hobble) …

Unsung Hero – Luke Minogue

Luke really encapsulates the spirit of Horsham Joggers. For a few years now he has helped take payments at track, as well as setting the session each week.

He’s currently another one suffering with injury, likely ruled out for up to a year, and yet he still turns up most Thursdays to take payments, chats with people, tail walks at Parkrun and generally remains upbeat despite everything thrown at him recently.

I know how highly he is thought of by our fellow club runners. Thank you, Luke!

And to find out more about Luke he’s also the subject of our ‘5 minutes with’ section towards the end of the Newsletter, including a photo of him!

Kavvadias Corfu 5k

Our beloved Chairman asked me to include a summary of my overseas race in Corfu so here we go. Writing about yourself can be awkward and so I’m avoiding talking about the actual race as much as I can, apart from the fact it was probably the hardest 5k I’ve ever run, given both the 35+ degree heat and the undulations, neither of which I enjoy to run in.

Now, the race I took part in started at 7pm along the main strip in St George, and finished high up in the nearby village of Agyrades, which was to be accompanied by an evening of awards, food, general celebration of local history, and a rock band performing. There was a 1k race, a 5k race, a 10k race and an under 18s race (along with a younger kids race) also taking place starting at the same time. With my initial attempt to enter the 1k scuppered (apparently the age limit was 16 for the 1k event, the entry form being entirely in Greek meant this was slightly lost on me) the idea was to complete the 5k race, and then immediately jog back to join my family in one of the restaurants back near the start.

“I’ll be back for the meal by 8 pm, I’ll see you in the restaurant” was my claim as I departed for the start line. Now, running with just my usual gear and nothing else is all well and good. The issue was I unexpectedly won the race, meaning I was then told to wait for the awards ceremony. Being on Greek time (and with my own Greek a little limited in vocabulary) I could just about work out the ceremony may well take place at any time later that evening. It was 7.30pm and I waited … and waited.

Unfortunately for my family, the awards ceremony didn’t actually get started until almost 9.30pm. It then took an age to complete for a variety of reason. There were what appeared to me to be skirmishes amongst the locals, one of them making a vocal and angry speech about the issues in Gaza at the exact same time the awards for the kids’ race were being presented. The awards ceremony went on for about an hour, the rock band still patiently waiting to start. One of the locals told me (albeit in Greek) this was all perfectly normal.

Anyway, to cut a very long story sideways, the ceremony finished after 10pm. I was privileged to receive a medal, a very large trophy (somehow this managed to squeeze into the suitcase), and perhaps most bizarrely I also received an honorary diploma, apparently for my services to running. The locals were delightful, kind, and warm natured. I knew some of them well from my previous visits to the village, but as an occasion this was a first for me.

I managed to return to my family – who had long since finished their Souvlakis’ and were sat in a bar drinking Pina Coladas, probably glad to have had a break from me – close to 11 pm. I was hungry and tired, but very honoured and humbled too.

I’d like to point out I wasn’t up against Greece’s top runners here (they must have been busy preparing for the World Ch’ships in Tokyo I assume), and winning a race these days rarely happens to me over any distance, let alone the long distance of 5k (which I still insist to you all is a long distance race – my fast twitch muscle fibres tell me this!).

Baz Panchal reminded me of his similar success in Mexico last year (which appeared to be against a bunch of local Mexican waiters, but I’m sure there were a few others who took part). Still, a win is a win and we must take them if and when the (rare!) opportunity is presented.

Horsham Round – 25^th August

The super Horsham Round took place on Bank Holiday Monday in August. This ever-popular event was a fantastic day. As ever there was a group of hardy individuals who decided to take on the entire, 29-mile (may even be more than 30 miles) course.

It was a huge well done to everyone who took part in the day. Quite impressively Florian Yeates completed the entire Round, more than doubling his previous longest-ever distance. An extraordinary feat!

The drink afterwards at Horsham Rugby club was well received by all, once we had all managed to regain our footing properly.

It was also a big thank you to everyone who helped organise the day, not least Roger Johnson for his sterling effort as ever to bring us club members together for the occasion.

Alf Shrubb Memorial 5k and 10k (and kid’s races!)

A stack of HJ’ers attended the Alf Shrubb races in mid-September. There were a number of excellent performances throughout both the 10k and the 5k (and the Juniors!).

In the 10K, for the men it was Rob Sherwood 1^st home overall in the 10k, followed by Mark Alger (5^th) and Alex Smith (8^th). Worth noting Simon Markham was 1^st in his age category (VM60+), Mike Bransden 1^st in the VM70+ and Mick Duplock was 1^st home in the M81+ category – phenomenal stuff!

For the females it was Holly Shazell (who is arguably wrestling with Ella Agent for having the coolest name in the club) taking 1^st in her age category (F21-30) and noting she was also 4^th overall, Helen Linberry 1^st in the VF41-50 and 8^th overall, and Anna McLauchlan was 9^th overall and 3^rd in her age category F31-40.  Caroline Bransden kept up her good form with 1^st  place in the F71-80 age group.

Looking at the results page from the day, Rylee Rothe also came 1^st, but in the ‘Unknown age’ category!

In the 5k, Christopher Lee was 1^st home in  the VM61-70 age category, and Lilian Tse was 1^st in the F31-40 age group.

It seems this day is now beginning to firmly establish itself in the HJ calendar, which is great to see.

Note this year’s race was also a HJ Challenge Trophy event. I would say that swelled our numbers but I don’t think it necessarily made any difference, we all love running at these local events regardless!

Barns Green 5k – 10k – Half Marathon

The annual Barns Green event was its usual fantastic success again. Somewhere in the region of 120 HJ’ers took part across the 3 races (plus the colour run!) and it’s a huge well done to everyone who took part. The weather was perfect for fast running, and you can see from the results a number of PBs were set.

There are almost too many names to mention of HJ’ers who achieved success on the day. In fact, if I included everyone who took part there would probably be enough text to open up a new library. There were also a few HJ’ers who didn’t seem to have Horsham Joggers down as their club (take note Marcus Leach for the club records!), so there were even more HJ’ers who took part than the final numbers seem to suggest.

For some HJ’ers it was their first ever race, for others – like club legend Pete O’Connell who first ran the Half back in 1985 – this event is a must on the race calendar. Although Pete nearly didn’t quite make it to the finish line this year, with just metres to go his legs failing him, but with a little support and help from our club chairman he made it over the line – noting he ran 1 hour 15 mins back in 1985 and still managed to run 1 hour 36 mins this year….. exactly 40 years later!

Here’s a few runners who finished either top or near the top of their respective age brackets (apologies for any omissions):-

Pete O’Connell (3^rd M60 HM), Mike Clark (1^st M70 HM noting HJ is his 2^nd claim club), Simon Perkins (1^st V50 HM), Geoff Fisher (3^rd M70, 10k), Melissa Galea (1^st F40 10k), Pauline Emsley (2^nd F50, 10k), Jo Tomlinson (3^rd F50, 10k), Margaret Wadman (3^rd F60 10k), Keith Valentine (1^st M50 10k), Lucinda Potten (1^st F40 5k), Val Purnell (1^st F60, 5k).

Jon Fengaras was 1^st male HJer home in the 10k, Melissa Galea 1^st female.

Simon Perkins was 1^st male HJer home in the Half Marathon, Frankie Bailey was 1^st female HJ home.

In the 5K, David Capey was 1^st male HJer home, with Lucinda Potten 1^st female HJ.

Well done to everyone who took part and sorry if any of the above isn’t spot on, as noted the results didn’t always show Horsham Joggers as your club!

West Sussex Fun Run League update

We are currently sitting in 2^nd place in the league standings. We may not be able to catch Haywards Heath but we are looking like cementing the runners up position.

There are 3 races left in the 2025 calendar, namely the Great Walstead 5 (I know I always say this, but it still sounds like a group of wrongly convicted criminals to me) which is on 12^th October and may well have taken place by the time this Newsletter is published, the Steepdown Challenge which is on 26^th October, and finally our very own Gunpowder Trot which is on 2^nd November.

We now have enough volunteers for the Trot. Many thanks to everyone who has volunteered. We couldn’t do it without you!

Many thanks to Partridge Motor Cars Ltd for sponsoring the race.

Sussex Grand Prix update

A few more SGP races have taken place – indeed in the past couple of weeks there has been the Hellingly 10k, Lewes 10k, and coming up on 19^th October is the Hove Prom 10k and on 2^nd November is the Crowborough 10k (noting this clashes with our very own WSFRL Gunpowder Trot).

Winter Handicap and Awards Night

On Tuesday 18^th November, there is the Winter Handicap which is followed immediately afterwards by the Awards Night. Both events take place at Horsham Sports Club on Cricketfield Road.

Please hang around after the Handicap to see your fellow Joggers receive the various awards/prizes for the races (or yourselves if you’ve won an award!).

Socials

The social events are coming thick and fast and it’s a credit to Florian and the rest of the Committee for organising these.

Pizza Night – Wednesday 15^th October

There is a pizza night coming up at The Star, Roffey on Wednesday 15^th October (pizzas ordered for 7.30 pm, arrive from 7 pm). This is a ticket-only event (tickets were on sale on Memberzone until very recently).

Horsham Joggers Disco  – Friday, 14^th November (Horsham Rugby Club)

Tickets are now on sale now via Memberzone for the Horsham Joggers disco which takes place on the evening of Friday, 14^th November at Horsham Rugby club. Tickets are priced at £10 each, a bargain as the evening promises to be one of fun, chat, music and dancing (not obligatory). We may even get to see Florian on the dance floor, his moves are always a joy to behold (and perhaps we may even persuade Gary Tomlinson to make a rare appearance again – we’re usually more used to seeing him on a podium!).

Christmas Curry – Wednesday, 10^th December (Chak De India)

The Christmas curry at Chak De India is back on the menu again this year. Please keep your eyes peeled for sales/information for this event.

As ever, you need to log into Memberzone to be able to access the tickets to events, races, and the official race and training kits etc. If you ever need any help with navigating the website don’t be afraid to ask!

Parkrun Away Days

The Parkrun away days provide an opportunity for hj’ers to meet up at a variety of local parkruns. Always good to have a change occasionally and these are always popular with our club, and there’s a couple of Parkrun away days coming up shortly.

On 8^th November, it’s our local favourite (after Horsham!) … Tilgate, followed by hilly (but beautiful) Wakehurst parkrun on 13^th December.

Five minutes with … Luke Minogue

1. How long have you been a runner and what made you start?
I was never much of a runner at school, and it wasn’t until my 30s that I started running regularly. Even then, it was just a few miles a week—nothing serious. Growing up, my main passion was always cycling. But over time, I found myself running more and more, and to my surprise, I really started enjoying it. Then I discovered both parkrun and Horsham Joggers – and I’ve never looked back!

2. Why do you run? 
For me, there are many reasons why I run. Initially, it was purely for fitness, but the more I ran, the more I began to realise the other benefits. It’s great for both physical and mental health; nothing helps me more to de-stress or clear my mind after a tough day. Then there is also the social side, whether it’s parkrun, a Tuesday night run, or a chatty weekend run, it’s great to catch up with other runners, many of which I have formed genuine friendships with since meeting them through Horsham Joggers. Beyond that, running has taught me how to push my physical limits and build the mental resilience needed when things get tough, especially during a race.

3. How long have you been at Horsham Joggers?
I joined in 2018 after my friend (and fellow Horsham Jogger) Hadley O’Dwyer suggested it. Initially I was a bit reluctant, as I tended to do all my runs on my own, but after also discovering Parkrun around the same time, I soon realised what a great bunch the running community are!

4. Biggest running achievement so far?
There are a few that come to mind that I am particularly proud of. Winning the inaugural Eileen Quinton Award for my performance in the WSFRL in 2022, then running my first (and possibly only!) Ultra – The 38 miles Downs Link Ultra with some of my fellow Horsham Joggers, but the one I’m most proud of is the one and only time I’ve managed a sub 18minute 5k at Worthing Parkrun. Maybe again one day…

5. What are your future running goals and ambitions? 
Having slipped a disc earlier in the year, I’m currently not running at all, so short term my goal is just to get back running again, at any pace! Longer term, I’d like to take on another marathon one day and possibly attempt sub 3 hours,  although currently it feels a long way off! 

6. What’s the best thing about Horsham Joggers?
Without doubt, it is all of the amazing people I’ve met since joining. I’ve made some great friendships through HJ, celebrating birthdays, weddings, been out for meals, bike rides and even on holiday with some of them. The running community are a great bunch and I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my spare time! 

7. Specialist subject on Mastermind? 
Having had a slight obsession with them since childhood, it would probably be car related, possibly cars of the 80/90s or something along those lines – Unfortunately having a memory like a sieve, I don’t think there are many things I would be that confident on being able to answer questions on! 

8. Tell us something we don’t know about you? 
I’ve been playing a game of Pinch Punch with my partner Emma on the 1st of each month for just over 12 years now… I’m currently winning on 79 months, to her 67….

Other News

Membership Numbers

There are currently* 640 members of our ever-growing club, of which approximately 203  of us are EA affiliated (*approximate latest figures).

If anyone ever wants to know more about EA affiliation then please feel free to ask any of the Committee, or your fellow hj’ers ‘in the know’, or me (I’m also in the know!) for an explanation into how this works and whether joining EA is suitable for you.

Dates for your diary

• 12^th October – WSFRL Great Walstead 5
• 15^th October – Pizza Night
• 19^th October – Great South Run
• 19^th October – SGP Hove Prom 10k
• 26^th October – WSFRL Steepdown Challenge
• 2^nd November – WSFRL Gunpowder Trot
• 2^nd November – SGP Crowborough 10k
• 8^th November – Parkrun away day (Tilgate)
• 14^th November – HJ Disco
• 18^th November – Winter Handicap and Awards Evening (follows the Winter Handicap)
• 2^nd December – Marathon ballot draw
• 10^th December – Christmas Curry
• 13^th December – Parkrun away day (Wakehurst)

As ever please check the HJ calendar for any updates/changes which may take place, and of course for things I’ve excluded!

Have a great few months, and I’m sure I’ll see some of you out there running, albeit with a head torch given it is getting dark soooo quickly now.

Be lucky.

Simon Holmes