Home » Latest Club News »
Lewes Athletic Club battles the elements at Seaford Head in East Sussex Cross Country League
Thirty-seven members of Lewes Athletic Club braved cold, windy and wet conditions to compete in the fourth fixture of the 2025/26 East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League, held on a tough new course at Seaford Head on Sunday 11th January.
The relentlessly hilly route featured an anticlockwise lap of Martello East Field before heading onto the Esplanade and climbing Seaford Head. Runners tackled exposed, muddy trails, steep ascents and descents alongside the golf course and near the iconic coastguard cottages. With 660ft of elevation gain and a maximum height of 275ft, the course proved a test of strength, balance and resilience.
Despite the conditions, Lewes AC produced a series of strong performances, reinforcing their status as defending League Cup holders. After four of six fixtures, the club sits third overall, well placed heading into the final stages of the season.
Leading finishers included Teo van Well (M45), who was the club’s first man home in 7th place in 32:02, followed by Julian Good (M40) in 9th (32:13) and Adam Vaughan (M45). Izzy Bradford (F35) led the women with a time of 33:05, ahead of Emily Hague (41:12) and Sally Norris (F45, 41:49).
Lewes AC athletes also continue to feature prominently in the cumulative league standings, with notable positions across senior and veteran categories. Highlights include Stephanie Crespin sitting 2nd in the F50 category, Karin Divall 3rd in F65, Gerard Dummett 3rd in M65, and Bob Hughes 3rd in M70.
Team Captain Sally Norris commented,“Seaford Head was a really tough course, especially in those conditions, but everyone gave it their all. What stood out most was the marshalls and runners from all team’s support for one another. Lewes AC were all smiles as they devoured my post run cake.”
The next East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League fixture takes place on Sunday 8 February, hosted by Run Wednesdays.
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.
- 10k/Half Marathon Training: Get help feeling confident and hitting PBs on race days with our new dedicated Saturday morning track based training sessions. Sign up here