Sunday 29th March 2026

The curtain came down on the 2025/26 East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League in style at Pett Wood… and what a finale it was!

Hosted by Hastings Runners🖤💚, the final fixture delivered a proper cross country feast, a 5-mile single lap packed with woodland trails 🪵, open fields and just the right amount of glorious mud. With cool sunshine ☀️ overhead, conditions were just about perfect.

From the gun, it was classic XC chaos, a bobbly lane start, a brief bottleneck into the woods 🌳, then suddenly the course opened up and it was game on across the fields.

With marathon season looming, numbers were naturally a little lean, but that didn’t stop our Harriers attacking every hill, puddle and slippery descent with determination… and the occasional comedy slide 😅

Leading the charge home saw Rob Chrystie 🍪 with a storming 30:55 (17th overall) 🤩, followed by Los 👶🏼 in a rapid 31:53 (26th).  Alice 🐈 ran brilliantly to take 3rd 🥉 female in 32:43 (36th), with strong runs from Matt Courtnell 🚑 35:20 (57th), Maria Smith 💆🏼‍♀️ 35:41 (58th), Chris FG ⭐ 38:09 (89th), Tinks 🧚🏻 41:05 (126th) and Felicity 🇫🇷 56:17 (232nd), rounding out a determined team performance.

And just like that, the final whistle blew on a six-race league season, stretching from autumn mud to spring sunshine.

This league is never just about one race, it’s about turning up month after month, whatever the weather ☔️, backing your teammates 💪🏼 and embracing every muddy minute. Whether you raced once or all six fixtures, every Harrier played their part in another fantastic season.

A huge shoutout to Matt Courtnell 🚑 our only Harrier to complete all six races 🙌 🤩, with Woolley 🧶, Graham P(uns) 😂, Alice 🐈 and Tinks 🧚🏻 tackling five of the six.

A big crew nailed four fixtures too, Rob 🍪, Los 👶🏼, Chris Little 🔥, Darren Grice 🙌, Captain Fluffs 🐸, Popey 🙏🏻, Robin 🏄🏼‍♀️, Abi Morris 🌷, Claire Keith 🍒, Victoria 👮🏻‍♀️, Maria Smith 💆🏼‍♀️, Felicity 🇫🇷 and Ros Daintree ✨ showing incredible commitment all round 💪🏼

Season highlights were a plenty with Alice 🐈 finishing a phenomenal 2nd 🥈 female overall (just ONE point off top spot! 👀) and 2nd 🥈 in age…. truly outstanding 🤩

Huge congratulations too go to:

🥇 Claire Keith 🍒 – 1st in age

🥇 Maria Smith 💆🏼‍♀️ – 1st in age

🥉 Rob 🍪 – 3rd in age

🥉 Graham P(uns) 😂 – 3rd in age

And while Penfold (Graham Pearson 🐭) had his season cut short through injury, we know he’ll be back stronger and ready to go again next season 🙌

As a club, we finished an impressive 6th overall: a result to be seriously proud of 🖤❤️

A massive thank you to everyone who pulled on the vest this season from first-timers to seasoned XC warriors.

Special appreciation and a HUGE thank you to Hannah 🏕️ for her dedication and hard work as our XC rep over the past few years 👏🏻

As one chapter closes, another begins…

We’re excited to welcome Ros Daintree ✨ and Karen Hoskin 🇮🇪 into the xc rep roles as we look ahead to the 26/27 season 👀🔥

Thank to all at the ESSCCL and to every club, marshal, and volunteer for another fantastic year.

Mud, hills, team spirit… we’ll be back for more 🖤❤️