There was little respite from the high temperatures for the 11 Seaford Striders who braved the Bewl 15 mile race on July 1.
With the mercury reaching 29 degrees during the morning, there was little scope for achieving personal bests during the mainly off-road route, which forms part of the Sussex Grand Prix series of races. The trail run hugs the Bewl reservoir, giving runners a visual distraction from the hot conditions with scenic views across the water, chines and wooded areas. The route includes a number of inclines which challenged the Striders to give every last bit of energy.
741 runners completed the race, which was organised by Wadhurst Runners. First across the line for the Striders was Luke Borland in 1:56:51 and 50th overall. Joshua Nisbett completed his race in 2:02:20, with Andrew Farley in 2:13:48.
Kristiane Sherry was the first lady home for the Striders, finishing the race in 2:20:34, ahead of Emily Eaton in 2:27:34. Phil Robinson crossed the line in 2:30:58, ahead of Anna Norman in 2:31:36.
Ben Shorer (2:58:04) and Stephanie Cox (2:58:06) also finished the course in under three hours. Amanda Feast completed her race in 3:03:38 with Tom Roper the last Strider to finish in 3:37:30.