Sunday 31st May 2026

24 Harriers proudly pulled on our black and red vests on Sunday 31st May as we made the short trip along the coast to support the ever-popular Hastings 5 Mile, the fifth race in this year’s Sussex Grand Prix series.

Known for producing fast times, the flat seafront course had other ideas this year.  A stubborn headwind 💨 battered runners on the outward sections, while rising temperatures 🔥 ensured there was little respite on the return journey.   It was a race that demanded determination and plenty of Harriers spirit.

But as always, our black and red army rose to the challenge.

Leading the Harriers home was Claire Keith 🍒, who produced another outstanding performance to finish in 32:41 and secure an impressive 4th female overall position against a strong field, whilst running a superb PB💪🏼

Behind her, the PB train was running at full speed 🚂;

Oli P 💴 continued his excellent season with a superb personal best of 33:01, while Maria Smith 💆🏼‍♀️ added yet another age category victory to her growing collection, crossing the line in 34:27 🏆

There were further lifetime best performances from Jake 😎(35:18), Gemma 💎(36:21), Jo McGowan 🌷(36:49), Darren Grice 🏃🏽(37:22), Vinny 💂🏻‍♀️ (37:57) and our Ladies Vice-Captain Lisa PH 🧡 (46:46), highlighting the fantastic progress being made across the club.

Tinks 🧚🏻 crossed the line in 35:53 (her fastest time here since 2023), followed by Chris FG 🩵 in 37:02.   Leeland 🚴🏽‍♂️ ran strongly for 38:08, with Jamie 🏸(38:31) and Graham P(uns) 😂(39:45) digging deep as conditions became increasingly challenging.

The strength and depth of our Harriers was evident throughout the field, with Dan🏃🏻‍♂️finishing in (40:06), Fluffy 🐸(40:38) and Neil 💪🏼(41:11) all producing solid performances.

Leon ⭐(43:41), Victoria 👮🏻‍♀️(46:11) and Ruffs 🪑 (46:12) showed great determination to keep pushing through the warm and blustery conditions.

Completing the black and red line-up were Lady Frances Delves 👸🏼 (52:13), Helen Greck💕 (57:45) and Jo Davis 🐿️(57:47), whose perseverance, positivity and unwavering support for the club perfectly summed up what being a Harrier is all about.

The conditions were far tougher than the results might suggest.  The headwind felt relentless and the warmer it got, the harder the race became.  It was a pleasure to see so many Harriers supporting a fantastic local event.

Congratulations to all our members who came away with personal bests – testament to the hard work that everyone is currently putting in.

As a team we should all be incredibly proud of each other🖤❤️