Home » Latest Club News »
Eight Runners, Decades Apart: Lewes AC’s Age Range Stands Out at Hastings
Eight members of Lewes Athletic Club, spanning generations from junior to veteran categories, delivered an impressive set of performances at the 2026 Hastings Half Marathon, held on Sunday, 22nd March in near-perfect spring conditions. The race is also the first fixture in the 2026 Sussex Grand Prix.
Starting and finishing at Grosvenor Gardens on Sea Road in St Leonards-on-Sea, the popular single-loop road race lived up to its reputation as “achievably challenging.” Runners tackled a hilly first half. After that, they enjoyed a faster, flatter, and often downhill second half through the historic streets of Hastings and along the coastline. Cool temperatures and sunny skies provided ideal racing conditions for all participants.
Leading the Lewes AC contingent was Laura Dowse (FV40), who produced a standout performance to finish in 1:27:12, securing 1st place in her age category and an excellent 7th overall female position.
Strong results continued across the team:
Katherine McCorry (FV40) – 1:44:10- Joe Whiting (SM) – 1:46:05
- Gary Loughlin (MV55) – 1:55:41
- Bob Hughes (MV75) – 1:56:01 (2nd in age category)
- Ivan Wray (JM) – 1:58:04
- Martha Walsh (FV55) – 2:20:10
- Geoff Watson (MV65) – 2:32:44
Lewes Athletic Club Chair, Philip Westbury, commented: “Days like this really capture what our club is all about. The results are fantastic, but they come from people who simply enjoy running and like to challenge themselves. That sense of enjoyment is what drives success and achievement at every age and level.”
Want to Improve Your Running Performance with Lewes AC?
Lewes AC offers various training sessions to help boost your performance at road and trail running events:
- Strength and Conditioning: Join our coaches on Monday nights to improve core strength and stability. Sign up here.
- Track Sessions: Fine-tune your technique, pacing, and endurance on with distance based track sessions Thursday evenings, or time based track sessions on Saturday mornings. Sign up here.