Committee activity

A small committee met on Wednesday 4^th April and discussed the usual club finances,  club kit, membership renewal, as well as the forthcoming AGM, JOY/VOY/NOY award winners, marathon minibuses, Horsham 10k and Gunpowder Trot.  More on some of this later. We agreed to meet again on 9^th May.

Membership renewals

Just a quick reminder that your membership has now elapsed (unless you joined between 1^st Jan and 31^st March this year). You can now renew online via the MemberZone using PayPal (account or guest checkout). No paperwork, no paper money, no hassle! Also a reminder that UKA have increased affiliation to £15 for 2018/19.

Marathon Minibuses

Further to the appeal in the last newsletter, unfortunately no one has stepped forward to drive the minibus to the Brighton Marathon so this option will now be cancelled. However, we do have a minibus and driver available for the London Marathon so if you want to be included on the passenger list, please CONTACT US. A small donation is requested for fuel and to support The Springboard Project. You will arrive a short distance from Blackheath and can be collected again in Horseguards Parade for the return trip if required.

The result round up

It’s been another busy month for team hj! To read all about it CLICK HERE for the latest race result roundup compiled from press reports by Iain over the last six weeks.

AGM – Tuesday 24th April

This year we will be at the new venue of Horsham Cricket and Sports Club, Cricketfield Road. We will meet there for 7pm and use the local routes through Denne Park or Chesworth for a “normal” Tuesday evening run followed by the AGM at 8.30pm. Parking is available at the venue and showers, nibbles and a bar will all available after the run. We hope to see as many of you as possible for Phil’s round-up of the last year’s achievements, election of committee members and presentation of the coveted JOY, VOY and NOY awards that you have all been busy voting for!

Summer Pub Runs – 26th April

As the evenings grow longer, we say farewell to the headtorches and hello to the summer pub runs! For more info and the full schedule just CLICK HERE

Horsham 10k update

Entry is open and is filling up fast with around 300 entries so far! We now need around 80 volunteers to make sure this event is delivered safely and successfully. We will soon be asking for individual volunteers via Facebook and at the AGM. Please remember that we are hosting our home event for others to participate in and this relies on many volunteers to make it happen. If you are an hj member, we expect you to consider volunteering before applying to enter the race!

The Andy Spriggs Running Spirit Award

Following Andy’s untimely passing at Christmas, we’ve been working hard to find a way to honour his memory and mark his contributions to the club and in particular, the Horsham 10k which he worked tirelessly to develop. With Sandra’s blessing, we have decided on a new award which encapsulates all the qualities that Andy brought to the club and which were summed up so passionately in your personal tributes within our recent article about his life. The inaugural Running Spirit Award will be presented at this year’s Horsham 10k to someone who demonstrates exceptional generosity, courage, stoicism, passion, perseverance or sportsmanship.

Seychelles marathon

Ed – Ian and Leigh sent us this lovely report on their recent international adventure……….

After walking off the plane into 30C heat and 80% humidity, we realised this marathon may be a bigger challenge than we thought. After a couple of days acclimatising, (drinking beer), race day was upon us and we woke at 5 to a cloudy but warm day. At 7 o’clock the gun went off and 10 seconds later the race clock started! Nobody rushes in the Seychelles. A 5k loop started the marathoners and half-marathoners at which point we joined the majority of the runners doing the 5k and 10k races. The 5k race was out and back on the same route with no attempt to separate the returning runners from the rest of the field, resulting in several small children being sent flying by the lead runners. After the 10k turnaround point the field was significantly reduced at which time the heavens opened and we were completely drenched. Some significant undulations on the coast road to the capital Victoria took us to the turnaround point at approximately 16 miles. Aid stations were frequent, friendly but light on everything except water; thank goodness we carried our own nutrition. We kept a steady pace and caught a few runners in the last few miles, crossing the finish line together in 5:15 to collect our t-shirt, medal, certificate and really heavy fresh coconut. Although it was the 11th year of this event, it was still quite chaotic in typical Seychellois style however we still enjoyed the race.

Leigh & Ian

South Downs Way Relay – Saturday 2nd June

This year we have again been invited to enter two teams for this superb event. We are almost there with an ‘A’ team (Seniors) and Vets (40+) but need a couple more runners to complete the teams. You will be part of a 6 person team and will run three non consecutive legs of the 100 miles South Downs Way (18 legs in total).  During the day you will run a total of 15 -18 miles.  You will be looked after and transported (when not running) in a minibus with a driver and navigator.  You need to be comfortable running an 8:30 minute per mile pace in hilly terrain. Check out the event via this link http://www.southdownsrelay.co.uk/ .This is always a great day comprising challenge, competition, camaraderie and fun. If you are interested don’t delay please CONTACT US

Dorking 10’s

Dorking & Mole Valley Athletics Club has announced the running of the inaugural Cockerel 10K race on 3rd June 2018 in Dorking. Running alongside the Dorking 10 mile round of the Surrey Championship, which many of our members may well be considering, they are delighted to announce the launch of the Cockerel 10K, a new and exciting 10K road race that uses the same classic, leafy Surrey lanes as the Dorking 10 Mile race. Online entry can be found here: https://register.primoevents.com/ps/event/DorkingTenMileand10K2018

Website updates

The MemberZone has now been in place for just over a year. In that time we’ve processed over 400 orders with a total value of over £8000! If you haven’t used it yet, why not give it a try. We often get asked the same questions; How do I reset my password? How do I view what I’ve ordered? How do I change my personal details? I can’t login! etc, etc. Well ask no more! We’ve now added a “my account” option to the menu. Simply login and choose this option to manage your account. If you can’t remember your password – click -> Login, click -> Lost password, enter your Registered Email Address, click -> Get new password. PLEASE NOTE: the automated email will come from WordPress, not hj! So look out for it in your junk box as well. Also, did you know that you don’t need a PayPal account to pay via the MemberZone. Just choose to checkout as a guest and enter your card details via the secure third party server. They don’t hold onto this information so it’s safe and secure.

Gunpowder Trot organiser

Yes, it may be over five months away but we still need a new organiser for this race to continue the great work by Victoria. Procedures are in place to repeat the event this year so we need a self motivated, organised individual(s) to fulfil these tasks:

• Liaison with venue, land owners, local authority, medical providers.
• Organising a small team of leaders to deliver the various part of the race.
• Recruiting/coordinating volunteers for each sub-team.
• Monitoring entries and submitting to the league
• Checking/purchasing the inventory for the race.
• Supervising the set up and delivery on the day.
• Keeping accurate accounts for submission to the treasurer.
• (Not an exhaustive list)

Keep Running 2018!

Plans are in place for a new improvers course for those who have completed the couch to 5k type courses or those new to Parkrun who want to take it to the next level. We have two new leaders who are dead keen to get this under way between June and September so watch this space for more info.

Dates for your diary

15^th Apr – Brighton Marathon

22^nd April – London Marathon

5^th May – East Grinstead 10m (Mid-Sussex Weekend Marathon [MSWM])

6^th May – Haywards Heath 10m (Club challenge trophy and MSWM)

6^th May – 3 Forts Challenge

7^th May – Burgess Hill 10k (MSWM)

13^th May – Portslade Hedge Hoppers 5m (WSFRL)

13^th May – Hastings 5m (SGP)

13^th May – Run Wisborough 5/10k

16^th May – Littlehampton Beach Run (WSFRL)

20^th May – Horsham 10k (SGP)

Don’t forget; if you’ve got something worthy of the newsletter then please let us know!

Committee activity

Your committee met on Wednesday 21^st Feb with a couple more new guests and discussed the usual club finances, membership and forthcoming events as well as club kit, membership renewal, data protection, JOY/VOY/NOY voting procedures, Horsham 10k and Gunpowder Trot organisers. More on some of this later. We agreed to meet again on 4^th April

The results round up

So what have you all been up to? We’ve compiled this item from press reports by Iain over the last six weeks. Just CLICK HERE for the latest race result roundup.

Get voting!

Firstly an apology! After promising not to bombard you with emails if you subscribe to news updates, it seems that our mailshot server didn’t get the memo and sent multiple messages recently with the same content! Hopefully you saw the funny side and didn’t just click “unsubscribe” in disgust? Anyway, we had a lot more nominations as a result of the “rigorous” mailshot. Now that we have the short list, we have opened the window for current members to vote for your favourite via the MemberZone Survey Monkey links. Simply log-in, click on the “Award Nominations” category and follow the links to the 3 awards. The deadline for votes is 31^st March so that the awards can be presented as usual at the AGM in April.

Brighton Marathon place

Due to illness or injury, we now have one club place available for this race. If you want to represent your club in this great event on 15^th April, just CONTACT US

Brighton Marathon bus driver

We are lucky enough to have the use of the Springboard minibus for both Brighton and London marathons again this year. London is covered but we need a willing driver for the Brighton bus who must have category D1 on their driving licence. You will be required to pick up passengers at BBHLC, drive to B’Ton, drop off, park up, spectate(?) and then pick up and drive back after all returnees have finished. Just CONTACT US if you are interested in giving a bit back.

Sussex Road Relays

Entries are now open (via Opentrack) for the Sussex Road Relays at Christ’s Hospital on Saturday, April 7, 2018. Please ask Pete O’Connell about being part of a team. Entries close Sunday 25th March. Further info HERE

South Downs Way RelayArguably the best ‘running’ day out of the year! We are looking for members to take part in this “invitation only” event of about 50 teams. Horsham Joggers have been invited once again to enter two teams (of six). This is a relay race over the 97 miles of the South Downs Way, starting at Beachy Head and finishing at Winchester. The teams consist of six runners who each run three non-consecutive legs of the relay. The distance of each leg is somewhere between 4 and 8 miles and you’ll have a good break between each of your 3 runs. Each runner will run somewhere between 15 – 18 miles over the course of the day, almost entirely off road. The team travel between the start/finish points of each leg by minibus and you will have a driver and navigator looking after you. There is a time limit to complete the event, meaning that an average pace per mile of just over 8.5 minutes is required (over the whole distance). In the past we have had teams consisting of a good mix of different paced runners, with some running faster and some slower than the 8.5 m/m average required. Although a fairly tough (it’s hilly!) and long day, it is a truly great event with a lot of team spirit and camaraderie.  Having done it twice I, and I’m sure everyone else who has ever taken part, will confirm that the sense of achievement and fun had is immeasurable. Entry cost is subsidised by the club, the cost per runner is £25.00 to cover minibus and fuel costs. In addition to 12 runners there are vacancies for a minibus driver and a navigator for each team.  At this stage if you would like to take part (or even if you only think you might be interested in taking part) or want to know more please CONTACT US. Full details of the event can be found on the organiser’s website: http://www.southdownsrelay.co.uk/ Get in touch and get your name on the list, you won’t regret it!

WSFRL fixtures

These are now up on their website (http://westsussexfunrunleague.org.uk/) and you can enter individual or multiple races for the year via the MemberZone. Please remember that if you are paying for more than just yourself, you need to include additional runner’s details in the “order notes” field within the checkout page otherwise we won’t know who is entering!

2018 Challenge Trophy races

Race 1 took place on 4^th Feb at the Chi 10k (see results round up) and we now look forward to race 2 at Hastings half on the 18^th of next month. The 10mile challenge will remain at Haywards Heath in May and the final race will be the Fittleworth 5 in September.

Membership renewals

Just a quick reminder that your membership expires on 31^st March each year. If you joined the club on or after 1^st Jan 18, you have paid up until 31^st Mar 19. You can now renew online via the MemberZone and your existing PayPal account. No paperwork, no paper money, no hassle! Also a reminder that UKA have increased affiliation to £15 for 2018/19. Happy days!

Data protection

At Horsham Joggers we pride ourselves on the way we store your data and make sure your personal details are safe. However, the law is changing in May to include greater scope and tougher punishments for those who fail to comply. As a result, England Athletics are asking us to put extra measures in place to make sure you agree with the way that we store and share your data. You will notice changes to our membership forms on the website and the MemberZone renewal procedure. If you have any questions, please CONTACT US

Horsham 10k update

Entry is now open and we also have volunteers for these new roles:-

• Field set up team leader
• Course and field break down team leader
• Volunteer coordinator

Now that we have a full rota of team leaders for the day, we will soon be asking for individual volunteers to join these teams. Please remember that we are hosting our home event for others to participate in and this relies on many volunteers to make it happen. If you are an hj member, we expect you to consider volunteering before applying to enter the race!

Gunpowder Trot organiser

Yes, it may be over eight months away but we will need a new organiser for this race to continue the great work by Victoria. Procedures are in place to repeat the event this year so we need a self motivated, organised individual to fulfil these tasks:

• Liaison with venue, land owners, local authority, local residents and medical providers.
• Organising a small team of leaders to deliver the various part of the race.
• Recruiting/coordinating volunteers with each sub-team leader.
• Monitoring entries and submitting to the league.
• Checking/purchasing the inventory for the race.
• Supervising the set up and delivery on the day.
• Keeping accurate accounts for submission to the treasurer.

Not an exhaustive list but if you think you have what it takes please CONTACT US

Dates for your diary

25^th Feb – Brighton Half

4^th March – Steyning Stinger Half or Marathon

4^th March – Eastbourne Half

18^th March – Hastings Half – SGP (hj Challenge Trophy event)

25^th March – Mel’s Milers 10k

2^nd April – Lewes Easter Monday Races – WSFRL

Don’t forget; if you’ve got something worthy of the newsletter then please let us know! Email: info@hj

Ed – It’s nearly Christmas and we are sure you’ve all been nice so perhaps a little bit of naughtiness during the festive season won’t hurt will it? Go on, you’ve earned it!

Committee activity

Your committee met on Wednesday 29^th Nov with a few guests, and discussed the usual club finances, membership and calendar as well as the forthcoming winter handicap and awards night, website orders/voting updates, charitable donations and proposed SGP changes. More on some of this later. We agreed to meet again on 10^th January.

The result round up

Another busy few weeks for team hj so we’ve compiled this item from press reports by Phil over the last six weeks. Just CLICK HERE for the latest race result roundup. Big thanks go to Iain Campbell for offering to step in and share this role with Phil in the New Year

hj handicap race and awards night

On Tuesday 12^th December, instead of the usual group runs we will be holding our annual winter handicap race and awards evening at the new location of Horsham Cricket Club, Cricketfield Road and you are ALL invited. Please arrive from 6.45pm to give your average 5 or 10k time to coach Fiona and she will allocate you a group to run with over the 4.5mile course with staggered starts from 7.15pm. If the maths work out then you should all finish together at the same time!

Following the handicap race, at 8.30pm we will be awarding trophies for all those who have represented the club within the Challenge Trophy, Time Trials, Sussex Grand Prix and West Sussex Fun Run League races for 2017. Look out for an email to your inbox if you’ve won an award! And if you haven’t, please come along and applaud those who have. There will be complimentary sandwiches and the bar will be open if you want to buy a drink. Limited parking is available at the Cricket Club.

Ho-Ho run 19^th Dec

Just your average Tuesday night run with the added pleasure of visiting the “Ho-Ho” houses of Horsham, de-decked with their vast array of fairy lights. Group leaders will chose their route to take in the sights and sounds while Santa’s little helper Sue will provide Santa hats for those who want to borrow one. Bring some small change for the various charity collection boxes along the way.

Gunpowder Trot review

Sunday 5th November saw the club hold its annual WSFRL race, hosted at the Horsham Cricket Club grounds. The event was a great success with lots of very positive feedback from runners and volunteers. Our Race Director Victoria was told that our race has the best course in the league because it “has a bit of everything”. Also our cakes and hospitality were enjoyed by all. The success of the event relied on the goodwill of Friends Of Chesworth farm, the local landowner, the Cricket Club and all our many volunteers. Next years event is already in the calendar so keep the date free – your club needs your support to make these events happen!

Charitable donations

As well as the usual Springboard minibus donation we are splitting the profits of the Gunpowder Trot with St Catherines Hospice and this year the committee have also selected two new charities from those suggested by members. “Out There West Sussex” is a community based Sports and Leisure project for adults with learning disabilities or autism aged 16+ across West Sussex and “The Butterfly Project” is a Horsham based centre providing individuals with excellent training, activities and sessions to ensure they can develop work and life skills. We hope that both will come along to the awards evening to collect their donations.

 JOY, NOY and VOY nominations

Yes, as the year draws to a close, it’s time to look back over the past 12 months and think about who are your Jogger, Newcomer and Volunteer of the year. JOY can be for any reason which makes a current member stand out in your eyes. Newcomers will be those who have joined since 1^st Jan 2017. Vollies might be those who aren’t necessarily regular runners (if they run at all?) but are always there supporting and getting involved with the club. So email info@hj and give your nominations with a brief reason why you think they should be considered. Once we have the short list, we have made it even easier for you to vote for your favourite by including a voting link to Survey Monkey within the Memberzone. Simply login, click on “Award Nominations” category and follow the links to the 3 awards via Survey Monkey. The awards will be presented at next year’s AGM.

 SGP rule changes

Ed – With the aim of reinvigorating the grand prix series for 2018, the organisers have made some changes and as a result, the hj committee will be reviewing the number of races required to qualify for an award at our next meeting in January. The good news is that the Horsham 10k remains an SGP race for 2018!

– Race calendar to be changed from the current 17 races to 10. Races in each calendar year to be picked from a pool of races. The priority for putting this together was that races organised by SGP clubs were initially selected and this accounted for 9 out of the 10 races. As the majority of the races organised by SGP clubs are 10K it was agreed that the additional race should be a half marathon and for 2018 the Hastings half has been chosen.

– Team scoring to be changed and will no longer be based on the best 10 scoring men and women. Full details for team scoring are to be finalised and will be made available before the end of the year. An interim post will be published to explain the rationale for the change. In summary it was felt by the AGM that interest in the SGP has dropped across all clubs and it needs a revamp to reignite interest. In particular the team element will be more inclusive for all runners representing their clubs. The intention is to review if the changes that have been made have had the desired effect of re-invigorating interest in the SGP. This will be done in July 2018 to allow for any adjustments to be made in preparation of 2019.

Horsham 10k organisers needed

The following key organising roles will need to be filled in order to deliver next year’s race which is due to take place on Sunday 20^th May:-

• Race Director (but what does it involve?)
• Field set up team leader
• Course and field break down team leader

The basics are already in place, we just need motivated, organised and committed individuals to bring their skills to the table. You’ll be guided and encouraged all the way and you can make a huge difference!

The Thank You’s

Gunpowder Trot A huge thank you to all those who gave their time to make this event happen, particularly to Victoria and her core team who were there before and long after the runners came and went. This was Victoria’s fourth year in the role and we thank her for her huge contribution to redesigning and reinvigorating this annual event which has taken over from the Valentines Run. Annual hj quiz night More thanks, this time to Gemma and John Berrill who put on a fabulous quiz with some really challenging questions! They’ve set the bar high for any volunteers to put this event on again next year and we wish them all the luck in the world with their new beginnings in Milton Keynes. You will both be missed! Social Curry Night Finally to James Munden for organising a very well attended curry night at Darchini.

And Finally – Team OG’s Ireland adventure

Ed – Powered by the black stuff, team “Old Gits” went on tour! Words by Finbarr……………..

Sunday 29th Oct 2017: Dublin – Running in the steps of ” Molly Malone” on  bright and surprisingly sunny Dublin, 9 Horsham Joggers set off from Merrion Square along the beautiful Georgian Streets to run the Dublin Marathon. The course ran an anticlockwise and beautiful route crossing over the Liffey and through Phoenix Park and eventually crossing back over the river to pass through the full length of South Dublin with views to the Wicklow hills and the sea eventually coming back into Merrion Square to the finish. However, the real delight was the crowd. The repartee as expected was brilliant and we were treated to exceptional hospitality and encouragement. Responding to the support Mikey O’Grady led the way home in a crowd pleasing 3:42:51, Holly Wanless was not far behind in just over 4 hrs (4:01:42) and led her sister Alice to a superb first marathon in 4:05:25. Then the Old Git brigade, some burying the ghosts of Brighton Marathon (appropriately on Halloween night), came in with Richard (no gels) Cherriman on an excellent PB of 4:15:09 followed by Chris Yeomans (4:22:43) and Rob (don’t Ninja me) Jochimsen beating the cramps and finishing in 4:34:51. Cruising close behind and having a good social the dynamic duo Finbarr Cotter and Ian Wilcox flew past the finish in 4:40:47 and continued all the way to the bar (Temple Bar). James Munden still on the road to recovery after his superb charity raising efforts a few weeks previously still manage a great sub 5 marathon (4:52:44). Following on from a fantastic marathon (my favourite out of 4 this year) we celebrated with the Irish black recovery drinks with the cream top. A great show from Horsham Joggers and definitely a must for next year. Beautifully organised, great route and the best crowd and hospitality.

Dates for your diary

3^rd Dec – Crowborough 10k (SGP)

10^th Dec – Mince Pie 10 **RACE FULL**

12^th Dec – Handicap race and Awards Night

19^th Dec – “Ho-Ho” run

31^st Dec – Spring marathon training starts – 10 miles (look out for the full schedule on the website and Facebook)

1^st Jan – Hangover 5 (WSFRL)

Don’t forget; if you’ve got something worthy of the newsletter then please let us know! Email: info@hj

Committee activity

A very small committee met on Wednesday and discussed the usual club finances and membership as well as the forthcoming Gun Powder Trot (WSRFL), quiz night, winter handicap/awards night, website updates and orders, coaching and volunteering. More on some of this later. We agreed to meet again on 29^th November.

Open letter from the chairman

THE CLUB IS DOING GREAT!

It’s true! Membership is at an all time high, our events are successful, we have a great new website and our runners are fab! But that is only half the story……

As we continue to grow so does the support structure required to underpin it and the fact is, we cannot continue in the current vain. There are 2 questions I would like you all to ask;

• What has your club done for you this year?
• What have you done for the club this year?

It would be good to think that the two are balanced. The club is not sustainable with just a few people doing all the work. I appreciate we all have busy lives but we need more helpers, more ideas, more enthusiasm!

Paul Aylett said earlier this year this would be his last year of being Race Director for the clubs 10K, this position is still vacant and the race is 7 months away. Also Victoria Saunders has indicated that this year will be her last year of organizing the club WSFRL fixture; The Gunpowder Trot. These are both important roles in the running of the club and they have to be filled for these events to take place. Also we are short of the 11 committee members we should have and out of 500+ members that is not good enough.

We need committed people to step up and assist the club as it moves forward. Lots of assistance and support will be given in the two race roles as both Paul and Victoria have assembled great teams of people around them. If you are interested in joining the committee why not come along to a meeting and see what it’s like? You don’t have to commit straight away!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope those of you who can, will step forward.

Phil.

The result round up

Another busy few weeks for team hj so we’ve compiled this from press reports by Phil and Paul Oakley over the last five weeks. Just CLICK HERE for the latest race result roundup.

hj Challenge Trophy races

With 3 out of the 4 races completed, we are all looking forward to the final race this season which is the WSFRL Steepdown Challenge on 29^th October. Awards are presented for overall male and female winners as well as 5 year age categories (from senior to V70) at our “lavish” awards evening on 12^th December at Horsham Cricket Club.

Gunpowder Trot – 5th November

It’s almost time for our 4.5 mile cross-country course on the Denne Park and Chesworth Farm estates. New for 2017; we will be holding a 1 mile junior race this year too. Also new for 2017; we will be using Horsham Cricket Club as our Race HQ. We now have enough volunteers to supervise and marshal the runners and (if you haven’t already had them?) instructions will be issued volunteers in the next few days. This is our home fun run and we need to welcome our guests and show them some proper hj hospitality so please support this event.

Congratulations!

To Hannah and Jamie Carter who tied the knot on 16^th September, James Munden who raised a fantastic £2700 for Chestnut Tree House by recently running a 24 hour Parkrun, John Wilcox who has completed 4 huge challenges in his 50^th year and raised an incredible £5450 for Prostate Cancer UK and Emma Walters who recently completed her first ultra marathon (having never run more than a half marathon before!) and raised £2330 for CLIC Sargent. Congratulations to you all!

Annual hj quiz night – 17th November at 7pm

Question: What’s an awesome way to spend an evening? Answer: The Horsham Joggers quiz night at Horsham Cricket Club with quizzie rascal Jon Berrill! £18 per team payable on the night, maximum of six people per team (that’s just £3 per person!). Please send team entries to info@hj to reserve your place.

Social Curry Night

Our social butterfly, James Munden, has kindly agreed to organise an all you can eat curry night on 26^th November at Darchini, London Road at 7pm. Please contact James directly via the Facebook event or email info@hj to reserve your place.

Winter handicap and Awards evening

This will be held on 12^th December at the new home of Horsham Cricket Club and we need about 6 marshals to volunteer to help PLEEEEEASE! Runners should arrive at 6.45pm and give your average 5 or 10k time to us. We will put you in groups and if we’ve got our sums right, you will all finish together. The course will be similar to last time but will now start at the Blackbridge Lane/Worthing Road junction before taking you on two laps of Blackbridge Lane, Guildford Road and Hills Farm Lane then finishing back at the start point. Afterwards there will be sandwiches provided at the Cricket Club during the Annual Awards Presentation at 8.30pm. The bar will also be open so bring your pocket money! Parking is limited so please car share or park in other local roads then jog in as a warm up.

Gemma’s Downs Link adventure (in her own words)

2nd October was the Downslink Ultra.. 38 miles from Guildford to Shoreham. We believe it was the largest amount of Horsham Joggers entry this year with 8 entrants, Jason walker, Alan Pettitt, Matt Whyman, Emma Walters, Garry Dale, Chris Yeomans, Paul Burgess and Gemma Berrill. With the course record holder coming in 20 minutes behind his record time it shows just how tough it was on the day. With constant drizzle and tough head wind it made it a challenging race. Unfortunately Paul Burgess had to drop out, not wanting to risk injury with Amsterdam marathon just 2 weeks later (which he completed and enjoyed!). I nearly dropped out at mile 27 as the grim sweeper was in sight, but with my running buddy there to give me a hug and tell me to shift my butt I was on my way. Massive well done to first male hj home, Jason walker in 06:05:35 and to Emma Walters for completing her first ultra and first hj lady home in 7:04:55. The best thing about the event has to be the infamous homemade chilli (veggie option was available!) and well run organisation.

Dates for your diary

28^th Oct – Beachy Head Marathon & 10k

29^th Oct – Steepdown Challenge (WSFRL and hj challenge trophy)

29^th Oct – Hove Prom 10k (SGP)

29^th Oct – Crawley 10k

5^th Nov – Gunpowder Trot (WSFRL)

11^th Nov – Poppy Half Marathon, Bexhill

17^th Nov – hj quiz night

18^th Nov – Box Hill Tough 10

19^th Nov – Brighton 10k

19^th Nov – 10k for Kent/Surrey/Sussex Air Ambulance

26^th Nov – Jigsaw Run 10k, Dunsfold

26^th Nov – Greensand Way 15, Shalford

26^th Nov – Curry night at Darchini

Don’t forget; if you’ve got something worthy of the newsletter please let us know! Email: info@hj

Committee activity

At our recent meeting we discussed the usual club finances and membership etc as well as the forthcoming SGM to allow incorporation as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), the forthcoming Gun Powder Trot (WSRFL), the recent Horsham Round and summer BBQ in Horsham Park, BG half marathon training, website updates and orders, coaching, volunteering and Twittens!. More on some of this later. We agreed to meet again on 18^th October.

The result round up

We have now put together a separate document, compiled from race reports by Phil and Paul Oakley over the last six weeks, so you won’t miss a thing! Just CLICK HERE for the latest race result roundup.

Gunpowder Trot – 5th Nov

It’s that time of year where we ask our members to volunteer to help at the Gunpowder Trot on Sunday 5 November from 9.30am to 1pm. Last year, a massive 72 of you were involved in organising the event on the day, and we’ll need those numbers again this year, for our 4.5 mile cross-country course on the Denne Park and Chesworth Farm estates. New for 2017, we will be holding a 1 mile junior race this year too. Also new for 2017, we will be using Horsham Cricket Club as our Race HQ. We need volunteers to bake cakes as well as to help run the event on the day. We have a range of roles, including marshalling the course, stewarding around race HQ, manning the registration desk, and helping out with refreshments.  If you are able to volunteer either as a baker, or to undertake a role on the day, please fill in our Gunpowder Trot Form

Barn Green Half and 10k – 24^th September

It’s just one week until BG half and 10k and team hj is again fielding a huge squad for both events as well as a few pacers too! We want to take a full team photo on the green at 9.30am sharp so please arrive in good time, don’t go to the toilet queue or run off around the field on your warm up! Just meet at the hj gazebo on the green and look out for the hj flags! After the races, we intend to stay behind for a BYO picnic (weather permitting) so why not join us and bring some post race rehydration too! 

24 hour Parkrun

hj committee member, James Munden, will be running a 24 hour Parkrun starting on Friday 29^th September, finishing on Saturday 30^th with (guess what!) a Parkrun! He aims to run at least 5km every hour and will have volunteer supporters running in shifts with him throughout the whole 24 hour period. A total distance of at least 120km! He will be fundraising for Chestnut Tree House (the Sussex Police charity for 2017) by selling cakes and collecting donations. To support his efforts, please come along to walk, jog, eat cake and cheers him on or visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/24hour-horsham

Volunteer Opportunity: Horsham Cricket Club Fireworks event, Saturday 28th October

Horsham Cricket Club have kindly allowed us to use their club house as our Race HQ for the Gunpowder Trot this year, at a very favourable rate. In return, they have asked if we could provide some stewards for their well-known Fireworks event on the evening of Saturday 28 October.  As well as a spectacular fireworks display, there will be a live music, plus fairground entertainment and a variety of food outlets.  Volunteers from Horsham Joggers will be required to undertake basic stewarding duties in the car park and around the venue.  In return, volunteers will receive a free entry ticket for one guest, plus a food/drink voucher.  This is a great opportunity to attend this local popular event free of charge! E-mail info@hj if you are interested in volunteering for this event.

North Downs Way 100

Continuing the theme of nutty challenges, Graham Clarke recently completed the North Downs Way 100. A 100 mile trail event from Farnham to Ashford which he completed in 27 hours and 34 minutes. When asked about it he said; Only about 10 miles were really hard. I don’t know why but I enjoyed the rest. There’s a stretch that goes through Ranscombe farm and then out and along the massive motorway bridge. I was fine in Ranscombe farm, but my feet couldn’t handle the tarmac driveway coming out, then the bridge with countless Samaritans signs is a horrible place to be even when you’ve not done 70 miles! I got cold and sleepy, my feet hurt a lot and I was losing interest in moving; I just wanted a lie down. I stopped and sat on the floor to let my feet recover three or four times then popped some painkillers. The hill to the next aid station is constantly up for at least three miles. I had a rest and a bite to eat and the painkillers started to work then ran out of there and enjoyed the rest.

Boston Links

Keeping our links across the pond alive, Lawrence Roy recently visited The Boston Weekly Run Club to say hello in his “singlet”! If you are planning a trip to Boston on “vacation” or running the popular marathon, why not pop in and wish them all a very nice day!

Joggers for Grenfell

On 30^th July, 14 hj members ran 24 minutes for Grenfell at Horsham Parkrun. A “virtual event” which allows individuals to enrol and run in their own time to raise funds for the Grenfell Tower disaster appeal. All finished and submitted their time in return for a beautiful medal. Congratulations team!

Sussex Cross Country Relays

GOODWOOD – 30th Sept. Pete O’Connell is once again looking to enter teams for this superb event which this year takes place the week after the BG1/2M. Details are listed HERE and if you are interested, contact Pete direct or email info@hj and we will put you in touch with Pete.

One-on-one assessment

Horsham Joggers can now offer one-to-one running assessment and provide coaching tips specific to your individual needs.  If you have any desire to improve your fitness, speed, gait or general ability, please email info@hj and Coach Claire will be in touch to discuss your needs and to book a session.

Group Leader Guides

Don’t forget, if you’ve ever fancied taking a group on a Tuesday evening but don’t know your way around, you can take a paper copy of any map with you from the file behind reception in BBHLC. There are also hundreds of routes available FREE to all current members online! Just email info@hj and we can send you the club login details for the Good Run Guide.

Twittens!

Yes, we had to Google it as well! These small footpaths, passageways and unidentified rights of way are known as Twittens and there are over 40 within Horsham which could be threatened with closure under the Deregulation act. The Horsham Society is fighting to keep these open but need evidence from those who have used them in the past 20 years. It’s a bit of a long winded affair but details can be found HERE or contact The Horsham Society if you want to get involved.

Dates for your diary

17^th Sept – Tilgate Forest 5 (WSFRL)

24^th Sept – Barns Green Half Marathon (SGP) **hj Challenge Trophy event**

24^th Sept – Barns Green 10k

30^th Sept – Sussex Cross Country Relays, Goodwood

1^st Oct – Lewes Downland 10miles (SGP)

8^th Oct – Hickstead Gallop (WSFRL)

8^th Oct – Heron Way 10k

15^th Oct – Bright 10 (Sussex Road Race Challenge)

**SAVE THE DATE** 5th Nov – Gunpowder Trot (WSFRL)

**Stop press!** Hold the front page! Just when we thought it was safe to publish the newsletter, earlier today our esteemed chairman only goes and completes a 100km walk from QE Country Park to Brighton race course on his 50th birthday! Accompanied by team mates Claire, Homer and Catherine, team “life begins at 50” completed the walk in a touch over 25 and a half hours. What a fantastic achievement Phil! Congratulations team!Committee activity

At our recent meeting we discussed the usual club finances and membership etc as well as changes to club rules to allow incorporation as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), The forthcoming Horsham Round and Gun Powder Trot organisation, the recent summer handicap in Horsham Park, half marathon training, website updates, volunteering etc. More on some of this later. We agreed to meet again on 13^th September

The result round up

The feature is proving so popular and at this time of year, with so many races taking place, we have put together a separate document so you won’t miss a thing! Just CLICK HERE for the latest race result roundup.

The Horsham Round

Registration is now open for the annual Horsham Round and again we are pleased to invite other selected local clubs to enter a few teams. Full details are on this website under the “Events” tab so please register your team as soon as possible via the info@hj address. Subject to the good weather, we will also be holding our annual BYO summer BBQ/picnic from 2pm in the park by the conservatory cafe. We’ll supply the coals if you bring your own bangers! This is open to all members, family and friends, not just those taking part in The Round.

Get Running Graduation

Congratulations to our latest recruits who graduated to their first 5k run at Horsham Parkrun on 17th June. Leaders Kirsty and Saul were on hand to see them round with James giving encouragement on the sidelines. Well done everyone and we hope we can look forward to seeing you continue to prepare for your first 10k in a few months time?

MemberZone feedback

It’s been there for a few months now. Have you used it? Do you like it? Has it made things easier for you? Is there more that we need to do to make it better? We’d like to know what you think. Any feedback (good or bad) would be appreciated. Just email info@hj.

Good Run Guide

Did you know that hj have hundreds of local running routes, races routes, Horsham round legs etc saved on the Good Run Guide? Claire Burrows and Paul Oakley have kindly gone through them and collated them into “Road” and “Off Road” categories, listed them in order of miles or km’s and printed some into a file kept at BBHLC reception. So if you’ve ever fancied taking a group on a Tuesday evening but don’t know your way around, you can take a paper copy of any map with you from the file. They are also available FREE to all current members online! Just email info@hj and we can send you the club login details for the Good Run Guide.

Membership subscriptions

If you haven’t paid, your annual hj membership will expire tomorrow! Any members who have allowed their membership to elapse will need to reapply to join the club and pay a new member’s joining fee (£5) as well as the annual membership fee. Rights to the MemberZone will also be withdrawn for elapsed members.

Gunpowder Trot

Our very own WSFRL race, the Gunpowder Trot is coming up on 5th November and we still need to fill some key roles as part of the organising group:

• Chief Steward
• Start/Finish Supervisor
• Junior race director
• Supplies coordinator

Further roles such as marshalling will be advertised closer to the date. Please keep the date free as we need your support and it takes over 70 people to make this great event happen. Speak to a committee member or email info@hj to get involved.

UKA license numbers (message from Sussex Athletics secretary)

We have had many messages this year from athletes who do not know their England Athletics license number. Please could you forward this link to your mailing list or include it on your website so that they know how to find the information?

https://myathletics.englandathletics.org/licencecheck/

Highway Code Rules

Safety is our primary concern when organising club runs but there is always an element of common sense required when running on open roads. If you want to refresh your memory on the highway code rules for running on the road just CLICK HERE

Dates for your diary

2^nd Aug – Highdown Hike (WSFRL)

13^th Aug – Henfield Half Marathon

20^th Aug – Hove Hornets Stinger (WSFRL)

27^th Aug – Will Page 10k (SGP)

27^th Aug – Arundel Castle 10k

28^th Aug – Annual hj Horsham Round and Summer BBQ

3^rd Sept – Fittleworth 5 (WSFRL)

10^th Sept – Hellingly 10k (SGP)

10^th Sept – Eridge Park 10k trail challenge

17^th Sept – Tilgate Forest 5 (WSFRL)

AND FINALLY!

Newsletter content

Ok, so sometimes we struggle to fill this page with “proper news”. If there is anything that you feel the membership needs to know; stories, features, articles, promotions – just let us know. The newsletter is published every six weeks, usually after the committee meet to discuss the content.