May Day Bank Holiday (2nd, 3rd, 4th May)

Three Races, Three Days, Three Towns

By Tinks 🧚🏻….

The Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend is an event I first ran 11 years ago, and ever since then the Bank Holiday weekend has always clashed with other plans… until Fluffy 🐸 surprised me with the full weekend entry as a Christmas present.  Safe to say, there was no backing out after that!

The event is a brutal challenge made up of three races across three days in East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill.  Throw in sunshine ☀️, hills, tired legs and a fantastic atmosphere and you’ve got a memorable weekend of running.

What makes the event so special is the camaraderie.  By day two you seem to know half the field, all sharing the same sore legs, tired laughs and determination to get to the next finish line!

The organisation throughout the weekend was superb by Mark and his Nice Work 💚team, but there’s no hiding from the fact it seriously tests the legs especially by the final day when every hill somehow feels twice as steep.

Saturday kicked things off in East Grinstead at 10:30am with a tough trail race featuring rugged ground, endless climbs, gates, stiles and enough hills ⛰️ to question your life choices.

Seeing the finish line was definitely a welcome sight, along with a much-needed leg massage afterwards just to check our ankles were still attached! Of course, squeezing in East Grinstead parkrun beforehand probably didn’t help matters either but we weren’t the only ones as the lovely Ness from Heathfield Runners (aka Batwoman 🦸🏻‍♀️) also did the same 😂

Sunday brought the ever-popular Haywards Heath 10-Mile, which also forms part of the Sussex Grand Prix League.  It was fantastic to see a brilliant turnout of Harriers flying the black and red flag🖤❤️, with nine Harriers taking on the notoriously challenging course.

Surprisingly, my legs actually felt better than expected and climbs I normally dread somehow felt flat after Saturday’s mountains!

I finished first Harrier home in 1:15:18, closely followed by Mark Popey 🙏🏻 in 1:16:45, Chris FG 🩵in 1:20:56, Fluffy 🐸 in 1:24:19, BIG Si 🥊 — somehow surviving after a heavy day on the drinks the day before in 1:25:19, Evil Ed 😈 in 1:25:59, Vindawg 💂🏻‍♀️in 1:28:57, Lou Lou 🩷in 1:34:35 and Lisa PH 🧡in 1:45:25.

Haywards Heath is never an easy route, packed with relentless rolling hills and very little chance to settle into a rhythm, but every Harrier attacked it brilliantly from start to finish despite the warm conditions.

A vital Greggs stop by fluffs and I followed, before heading home for recovery and one final reset ahead of day three.

By Monday morning in Burgess Hill, the legs were definitely feeling the miles, although knowing it was “only” a 10K somehow made it seem slightly more manageable.

I’d clearly blocked most of the course out from 11 years ago because the moment we hit the first rugged field it was an immediate “Oh no… not this again!”

Thankfully the fantastic support out on the course from Ron and the Seaford Striders crew 🖤🩵, alongside plenty of other friendly faces, helped carry everyone through the tougher moments.

There was even a lovely surprise meeting runners from my hometown of Launceston in Cornwall, proof that the running world really is a small one 🌍

Crossing that final finish line made every mile worthwhile.   At the end of the three days, along with three medals that piece together, you receive a combined marathon time, with Fluffs 🐸 finishing in 3:51:26 and myself in 3:31:46, which was enough for third overall female🥉across the full weekend.

It was exhausting, hilarious, challenging and brilliant all at once, the kind of event that reminds you why we love running and the running community so much.

If you haven’t done it before its definitely one to stick in your calendar for next year! 🖤❤️