Hastings Half Marathon
Encyclopedia
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
event that takes place every March around the streets of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
. Starting in 1984 and organised by The Hastings Lions Club the race has become quite popular over the last few years, with calls for it to be crowned The Great South Run, attracting 5,000 entries every year. It has been voted best race of its kind in the UK for three years. In 2005 it was voted fifth best race in the UK and was voted number 23 in the list of the Top 50 2007 races in the UK by readers of Runners' World. 2011's race winner's were Gordon Mugi from Kenya in the men's race and Rebby Koech also from Kenya in the women's.
Course
The route has a total climb of 237 metres with an average climb rate of 18 metres per mile. Taking this into account, this route is equivalent to running approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) on the flat.The course circumnavigates the Ancient Town of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, starting at the Seafront and following the route of William the Conqueror towards Battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
, round the back of the Town and down to the Famous 'Old Town
Hastings Old Town
Hastings Old Town is an area in Hastings roughly corresponding to the extent of the town prior to the nineteenth century. It lies mainly within the eastern-most valley of the current town...
' and fishing Village of Hastings, then comes back along the three mile (5 km) Seafront back to where it started. Although tough for the first part of the course, runners have produced some very fast times and PB's, as the last two-thirds is Flat or Downhill, and then the finish on the Promenade.
Past Winners
| Year | Mens Race | Nation | Time | Womens Race | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Gordon Mugi | 01:08:00 | Rebby Koech | 01:15:13 | ||
| 2010 | Ben Fish | 01:07:08 | Jessica Macrory | 01:21:31 | ||
| 2009 | Kiplimo Kimutai | 01:02:48 | Caroline Hoyte | 01:16:56 | ||
| 2008 | Kiplimo Kimutai | 01:05:24 | Magdalene Syombua | 01:14:20 | ||
| 2007 | Philemon Baaru | 01:03:22 | Birhan Dagne | 01:16:02 | ||
| 2006 | Michael Coleman | 01:06:40 | Birhan Dagne | 01:15:50 | ||
| 2005 | Fred Mogaka | 01:04:10 | Jo Kelsey | 01:18:19 | ||
| 2004 | Fred Mogaka | 01:04:22 | Howa Hussein | 01:19:51 | ||
| 2003 | Johnson Mururi | 01:03:26 | Jane Omoro | 01:11:52 | ||
| 2002 | Simon Kasimili | 01:04:55 | Jude Craft | 01:20:17 | ||
| 2001 | Stephen Ariga | 01:04:11 | Andrea Green | 01:17:08 | ||
| 2000 | Simon Kasimili | 01:03:45 | Esther Kiplagat | 01:12:19 | ||
| 1999 | Sammy Otieno | 01:01:37 | Bronwen Cardy-Wise | 01:22:01 | ||
| 1998 | Stephen Kiogora | 01:02:48 | Birhan Dagne | 01:16:30 |