Sussex AA has accepted an invitation to field teams in the Essex 20 mile road race over a ‘challenging course of 3 laps around quiet country lanes of north east Essex’, starting and finishing at Langham Village Hall, Langham, at 10:00am on Sunday 5th March 2017. This could be an ideal competitive test for those with spring marathon plans?
The counties taking part are Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Sussex. Teams are 4 to run with 3 to score for both men and women and team scores are based on the cumulative time for the first 3 runners over the line. Standards are understandably quite high with last year’s winning teams recording 5 hours 27 mins for the men and 6 hours 42 for the women, so an average of 1 hour 49 mins and 2 hours 14 mins respectively.
As a guide we are initially looking for interest from Sussex men who have run close to or quicker than one or more of the following in the previous 12 months:
1 hour 56 mins for 20 miles
2 hours 38 mins for the marathon or
1 hour 16 mins for the half marathon
Similarly we are looking at times in the last 12 months quicker than or close to the following from Sussex Women wishing to be considered:
2 hour 19 mins for 20 miles
3 hours 07 mins for the marathon or
1 hour 29 mins for the half marathon
Anyone who wishes to be considered please let Tom Ulliot (email details below) know by Sunday 15th January, providing information to support your application. An initial short-list of 8 for each race (women and men) will be drawn up from which the final 4 PLUS a non-travelling reserve for each race will be announced by 12th Feb.
PLEASE NOTE – this race is just 6 days before the national inter counties cross country at Loughborough so be aware that no runner will be selected for both events. Contact Tom at:tom.ulliott@hotmail.co.uk