The 2019 Seaford Half Marathon took place in the best conditions, if you like something to look at while running. It was bright, clear, but still cool in a breeze from the north-east. We assembled on the Salts by the rugby club, which functions as race HQ, and then went down to Bonningstedt Parade. As we walked down, I was astonished to see my fellow Strider Zingy get out of a car. wearing a number. The previous day she and other Striders had taken on a 105 lap track marathon in Eastbourne. The others were resting but she had come to tackle a hard half 24 hours later.
The start took many of us by surprise. From the start to the sailing club, now home of the Seaford Beach half-marathon, then we ran across the A259, assisted by marshals from Seaford Striders, then along the lane to Bishopstone. Here begins the first hill, a sharp ascent opposite Bishopstone church, which then moderates to a steady climb up towards Five Ways. At Five Ways, rather than head out on the path to Bo Peep, the route dives sharply down to `Greenway Bottom, before a long long climb again, to the crest of the ridge adjacent to Bostal Hill. Then it’s the Beachy Head marathon route in reverse, down the hills towards Alfriston, which is more or less half way.
At this stage I knew I was towards the back of the race, but I had run every step. The next section follows the Cuckmere, and saps the will. It was sheltered from the wind which had cooled us on the hills, and includes stiles, and narrow chalk paths that bruise the ankles. It’s not without its charms, though, and there are swans, geese and egrets to admire. I declined Latin nouns in my head to keep me going. After an age came the A259 road crossing by the Golden Galleon, and then the final stretch, over Seaford Head. Here there are some sharp ascents, but I kept running, after a fashion. The longest climb is the slog up the road to South Hill Barn. This section is very familiar, but hard. When I reached the top of Seaford Head, I was passed by my fellow Strider Zingy.
There’s still some way to go after the route reaches the foot of Seaford Head; there was no chance of a sprint finish, though I did speed up a little, and it was encouraging to hear some cheers from bystanders, though I was in no state to acknowledge them as graciously as I should have done. The camera captures well how shattered I felt
I was 199th out of 202 finishers in 03:11:04. It’s s shocking time for a half, but I had run a marathon distance over the previous weekend, and I never walked. I see from the records that I ran the Seaford Half every year from 2004 to 2010, missed 2011, then ran it in 2012, for the last time until this year. It’s a hard course, to the extent that only once, even when I was young and in my salad days, did I complete it in under two hours.
A few years ago the organisers moved it to May. A rival event sprang up on its old June date, which I ran twice, the snappily named Seaford Martello Tower Rotary Triple Challenge Half Marathon, but it was not as nice a course, and the weather, the two times I ran it, was wet and foggy. There is even another event over the half-marathon distance, taking place entirely on the sea-front, which has never seemed attractive to me. Besides, the organisers are based hundreds of miles away. I have a period of grace before the Bewl 15, another punishing race, in early July.
