Emily flying round the Steyning Stinger
By Joel Eaton
The first weekend in March has been a staple in our race calendar for the last few years since Emily and I both started running. The Sunday plays host to the Steyning Stinger, a tough off-road challenge that goes up, down, and around the South Downs.
The Stinger never fails to disappoint, and this year we were greeted with rain, gale force winds, and plenty of mud. Every year the race briefing is always delivered with a wry smile with the announcement that runners doing the half-marathon have the option of switching to the full marathon at the 11 mile point where the routes separate. I’ve often wondered if anyone’s ever taken them up on that – it’s certainly never been me.
The Stinger is quite unique in that runners have a window of time in which they can start whenever they want. There’s normally a ‘mass-start’ for those looking for more of a competitive feel, but no-one really waited for that this year, I think most people just wanted to get it over with! With both of us opting for the half marathon, and hoping to beat the times of our last efforts, I opted for the mass start which consisted of 4 or 5 others (including, unbeknown to me at the time, fellow Strider Natasha Swan) who were also putting off leaving the warmth of the race HQ for as long as possible. Emily had started off at her own pace a while earlier.
I enjoyed the feeling of starting behind a lot of the other runners and went for it from the off, finding the best option was to go hell-for-leather through the deep puddles of mud during the early stages.
The half-marathon has two ‘stings’, basically one very muddy hill, and one not so muddy but very long hill, as well as a good mix of undulating fields, track, and downland.
Overtaking Emily around mile 7, much to her annoyance, I was really enjoying the challenge this year and was far ahead of last years’ time. Towards the end of the race, you slip and slide down a sharp descent off the downs from Chantonbury ring, which accounts for a good few days of post-race leg stiffness, only to be faced with a “13.1 mile” marker sign located in the middle of a boggy field – no race end in sight. It turns out the race is about 13.7 miles long – I think they just put that sign there to make you feel like giving up!
I crossed the finish line taking a big 11 minutes off my time from last year (2nd overall), while Emily breezed home knocking 2 minutes off her last attempt (6th female). Although too be honest, she was barely out of breath and clearly had too much fun – could try harder, Emily!
The best part of the Stinger is the post-race fry-up included with the entry fee. As it’s hosted in a school, there’s something quite surreal about child volunteers scurrying about delivering breakfasts to the exhausted grownups who can barely manage a hobble.
We can’t recommend the Stinger enough. If you fancy a challenge, a race with a great atmosphere, with lots of mud followed by a guilt-free fry-up, then it’s probably right up your street. Just don’t go expecting a PB!
Results:
Joel Eaton 1:33:48 (2nd overall)
Emily Eaton (pictured) 2:11:57
Natasha Swan 2:23:37
Chris Wrathall 2:37:39