Valentines Run

They say it’s always wet, and yet the people I met last Sunday were quite happy to venture out into the rain and mud, to run some 3.5 miles from the start in Shaw’s Lane to the finish on Southwater Sports Club field for fun.  

The Valentine’s Run as it has come to be known, due to it taking place on or around Valentine’s Day, is attended by enthusiastic members of running clubs from across Sussex and was the fourth of the counties “Fun Run League’s” races this year.  Clubs such as the Fittleworth Fliers, Chichester Runners & AC, Saints and Sinners, Road Runners Club and many more were all well represented in a field of 268 competitors.

The race has been hosted by the ‘Horsham Joggers’ for at least twenty years and held in Southwater for at the past 10 or maybe more, by the reckoning of such veteran members as Maggie Geal and Jean Holder.

I spoke with Maggie and her Mum whilst they were serving the traditional teas and cakes to the competitors in the village hall prior to the start of the race.  

Could the year of the Olympics be the Valentine’s 30th? 

Jean Holder, asked me to look out for her grandson Daniel Holder wearing the number 101. As one of two race marshals stationed at Trawler’s Farm, she directed the runners Northwards along Marlpost towards the Downs Link by Bax Castle, and was delighted when her grandson appeared amongst the front runners coming up the farm lane.

Daniel had won the race once a few years ago, but had been unavailable to run the Valentine since due to being away at the time, so this this year saw him return to come 3rd with an impressive time of 22:44 beaten by two Chichester Runners, Chris Bird who came 2nd and James Baker who achieved the winning time of 20:32.  James Baker informed me had won the race a few times before, though obviously not when Daniel Holder last ran.

Art Hutchins