The Brighton Marathon Weekend once again proved a popular draw for Seaford Striders with 16 club members joining nearly 18,000 runners for the Brighton Marathon and BM10k.
Striders also joined the 150,000-strong crowd of spectators in near perfect spring weather conditions to cheer on their team mates, giving them plenty of encouragement and support on their way to the finish line.
In the Marathon, Josh Rudd attacked the distance in his usual style, beating his 2017 time by nearly two minutes in 2:55:48, finishing the race in 74th place. Dave Dunstall came in next in 3:15:28. He was followed by Phil Robinson in 03:51:27 with Ben Shorer close behind at 03:51:59, knocking a massive 1hr 14 minutes off his previous personal best (PB) time.
Next, it was the turn of the ladies with Emily Eaton crossing the line in 4:03:02, closely followed by Anneka Redley in 04:04:25 and Amanda Feast in 04:37:20. Richard Honeyman completed the race for the Striders in 04:38:15.
Striders running in the BM10k returned home with a clutch of personal bests. Nick Farley came home first with a PB of 40:40, followed by Ben Barnett in 43:15. Jazz Shiret completed the race in 55:00, followed by Abigail Grundy with a PB of 56:21 and closely followed by Michael Pickering in 56:49. Michelle Varndell, held back by a calf injury, was pleased to finish the race in 58:17, she was followed by Debbie Plant in 59:57 and Becky Souissi with a PB of 01:05:35.
Striders also demonstrated their team spirit from the sidelines. Those competing were cheered on with enthusiastic shout outs from Ju Taylor and Trev Jones as they reached Ovingdean, with Victoria Maleski helping marshal nearby at Blind Veterans UK. Andy Farley and Tom Roper took on race support roles at a water station and within the medical centre.