Claire Hawes

Lewes AC member Sarah Webster’s extraordinary rise to the summit of ultra-distance running has not only brought global recognition to her achievements but has also been profiled by Runner’s World. A fitting tribute to a truly historic season. Sarah made history by setting new Women’s European and World 24-hour records at the IAU 24-Hour World Championships in Albi, France, in October 2025. In doing so,…

Junior athletes from Lewes Athletic Club delivered an outstanding series of performances at the prestigious 2026 England Athletics Age Group Championships, held on 7th and 8th February at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield. The championships, a premier indoor competition for U15, U17 and U20 athletes, saw Lewes AC’s young pole vaulters achieve national titles and multiple personal and season bests. Lewes AC celebrated two…

Twenty-seven members of Lewes Athletic Club turned out on Sunday, 8th February, to compete in the fifth fixture of the 2025/2026 ESSCCL (East Sussex Sunday Cross Country League), hosted by Run Wednesdays at Whitbread Hollow, Eastbourne. The five-mile course took runners across exposed South Downs chalkland, featuring rolling hills and a notoriously challenging uphill section. While the surface is typically less muddy than other cross-country…

Lewes Athletic Club enjoyed a successful outing at the 2026 Chichester 10k on Sunday, 1st February, with 40 club members taking part in the popular event held at the iconic Goodwood Motor Circuit. The race started and finished in front of the main grandstand, opening with a 4km lap of the wide motor circuit before runners exited onto the surrounding country roads for a 3km…

Lewes Athletic Club junior athletes produced a series of strong performances at the 2026 Sussex Schools Cross Country Championships at Waterhall, Brighton, on Tuesday 20th January. Competing against hundreds of runners from across the county, pupils from years 8 to 13 raced in ideal cross-country conditions, with good weather and a course that was relatively firm underfoot. The standout result of the day came in…

Veteran runners from Lewes Athletic Club produced a string of strong performances at the 2026 Sussex Masters Cross Country Championships, held on Saturday, 17th January at Coombe Farm, Lancing. The event was contested over a challenging 8km course, comprising two 2.5-mile laps of sweeping Downland terrain with approximately 400 feet of ascent, testing both strength and stamina. The Sussex Master’s Cross Country competition is open…

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…

Lewes Athletic Club enjoyed an excellent start to 2026 at the Sussex AA Cross Country Championships in Bexhill, with strong performances and podium finishes across several age groups. The standout result of the day came from the U20 Men, who secured an impressive 2nd place in the team competition over 5 miles (8km). Isaac Tarafder led the team home in 7th place, supported by George…

More than 200 Santas and around 20 elves brought festive cheer to the Lewes Downs on Sunday 21st December as they took part in the 4th Annual Lewes Downland Santa Run, organised by Lewes Athletic Club.  Better still, the event raised £2,750 for the Friends of Lewes Victoria Hospital. The Santa Run was joyfully started by Deputy Mayor Adrian Ross and Father Christmas himself, Michael…

2025 will be remembered as the year when members across age groups said, Yes, I can! From muddy cross-country courses in the depths of winter to beginners’ group graduates taking on hilly half-marathons for the first time. Also, international honours, record-breaking performances, and fun-filled, community events (remember the summer sack race?). Lewes AC embraced team spirit and a sense of fun and enjoyment across every…