Sunday 2nd March 2025

By Run Leader Tina:

A small group of Harriers ❤️🖤 headed over to Brighton for the half marathon. I haven’t run this for many years and was fortunate to be gifted a last minute entry. Since I last ran it the course has changed with the start and finish being in Hove.

It was good to briefly see Graham & Leeland at the start, along with some Run Wednesday. We all wished each other good luck and headed to our respective pens.

Tracy and myself had decided we would stick together and try and stay with the 1:45 pacer, this had us hauling ourselves over the barriers and into the pen behind (there was no way we should be in the 1:30 to 1:44 pen 🤔).

The weather was absolutely perfect for running, not like the high winds we had at the Eastbourne half the previous weekend 💨 where I had paced sub 2 hours.

Off we went with Tracy & myself hot on the heels of the 2 pacers. They seemed to be banking a bit of time for the upcoming climb to the marina but we both felt comfortable at this pace and had a conversation about how this pace for a training run feels really hard but when in a race situation feels fine 🤷 were we not pushing ourselves enough?

It was great to see Joey at mile 4 giving us a big cheer. Maybe this gave us the lift we needed to ditch the pacers and push on up the only hill on the course. I was really surprised we hit a 7:53 minute mile. Then a glorious mile down hill toward the pier. The course is like a mini version of the new Brighton marathon course with a hairpin up Maderia drive. This gave us the opportunity  to cheer on fellow Harriers.

The lovely weather certainly bought the crowds out, it was comparable to any of the Brighton marathons I have run over the years. I know Jayne was somewhere amongst them, just sorry I didn’t see her ☹️

The course then returns to Hove. The miles ticked by quickly and we knew we were on for a good time, feeling strong and keeping the miles sub 8mm.

Finish time 1:42:37. I’m really pleased to still be able to produce times like this. It was also probably one of the best paced half’s I have raced.

Congratulations to all the Harriers that ran and thanks to those that supported 🙏❤️🖤

I think I will be returning next year 😉 It is such a great place to run and would recommend it if anyone likes a big city race.

🎤Hugest congratulations Tina & Tracy, two superb times in that wonderful spring sunshine.  Congratulations to Leeland too who stormed round in 1:42:56 🙌 🖤❤️