Round Up 8th – 16th March 2025
What a range of events the round up has for us in this edition! From the stunning South Downs, to the excitement (and wind) of Goodwood, to the snaking Thames and the vibrant city of Barcelona. Tuffs have been challenging themselves and having fun not just across Sussex, but across the south and in Europe!
First up, James Hodge who was kind enough to respond to my request for a Steyning Stinger race report with a bonus report on the Centurion Running One Slam. Thank you, James, for your brutally honest report, which tells a very different story to the photos!
Centurion Running One Slam
My main goals for 2025 are the Centurion Running South Downs Way 50 mile Ultra which will also hopefully qualify me for the full 100 mile.
For a bit of motivation to get the miles in over the winter, I entered the Centurion Running One Slam Virtual event.
The event takes place from 25th December 2024 – 5th March 2025. Runners have a choice of distances that they can aim to complete within that time. I chose 400 miles, 40 miles a week average. Food poisoning and a bug meant some additional big mileage weeks, but I made it with a few days to spare.
As part of the One Slam, they also include a One Up week where the challenge is to get as much vert as possible in one week. This is quite a challenge living at sea level, but I managed to scale Ben Nevis at least.
I would highly recommend it as a really good way to ensure you get those winter miles in. Winter miles, summer smiles!
Steyning Stinger – Sunday 9th March 2025
Some days are tougher than others…
The Steyning Stinger is a great local event run by Steyning Athletic Club. There are 3 distances half marathon, 30k and marathon. It’s always a fantastic opportunity to bump into old friends and has the added bonus of a free cooked breakfast at the end. The course heads out from Steyning and loops across the Downs passing Cissbury and Chanctonbury rings and has 3,083ft of elevation gain according to Strava.
I entered the marathon as a long training run for ultras. This is my way of saying it didn’t go very well. Given its timing in the calendar, the weather is anyone’s guess and is often a mud-fest on low ground and a struggle against biting winds on the high. The finish straight has previously resembled the Somme, dashing many a dream of a personal best as weary runners trudge through the final 100m. However, on Sunday it was glorious weather and there was only a small patch of slippy mud in the woods. It’s a rolling start which makes for a relaxed feel.
I started running but for some reason couldn’t get into this race at all. I kept thinking any minute now I will start enjoying this. I tried every trick in the book, looking at the views, appreciating the weather, pretending a grimace was a smile. Nothing, an hour and another hour passed and another. Still nothing. I would like to say I toughed it out, gritted my teeth, got it done, but mainly I sulked round like a teenager who has just had his X-Box confiscated.
There was a brief respite and welcome relief when I saw Sue Pinky and her lovely dog, perfectly timed on what is, to be frank, a bit of a tedious loop to extend the 30k into the marathon. I also got a blister which came as a welcome distraction!
After so much time and energy I had put into training, had I overdone it and now fallen out of love with running? How can I be on the Downs in the sunshine and not be enjoying it? Why is everyone else making it look easy? Had I left the gas on?
I went straight through the finish, didn’t have breakfast and went back to the car. When I arrived, I had to laugh out loud as there laying on the floor right by the driver’s door sat a baby’s dummy. What an apt way to end!
Some days are tougher than others!
Postscript: 5k recovery run on Monday with a Tuff club mate was as fun and as enjoyable as my race was miserable.
Editor’s note: Well done to Danny Cunnett who also completed the Steyning Stinger marathon – I hope that you stayed for breakfast, Danny!
Phoenix Rinky Dink Pink Run – Walton on Thames – Sunday 16th March 2025
Next up, Sue Pinky who swapped Tuff spotting on the Stinger to running in Surrey the following Sunday.
How could I not partake in this event run by Phoenix Running when it was named after me!
The beauty of today’s run was that you could run any distance of choice.
I wanted 16 miles or four hours if my piriformis allowed.
Sadly, it didn’t and I bailed at ten miles.
Am I disappointed? No. I’m pleased that I listened to my body and stopped before I got to a place where I’d have been limping and back out of the game.
Ten miles is better than a kick in the teeth, especially when training has been very hit and miss.
Absolutely stunning location, running along the river Thames. If you’ve never done a Phoenix event, I can highly recommend. Rolling start means you can get going between half 7 and half 8. Chip timed by way of a sexy ankle bracelet rather than a paper number so saves on waste!
Barcelona Marathon – Sunday 16th March 2025
Our next running report comes from Stu Harvey, who I am delighted (and jealous) to report ran the Barcelona Marathon. Stu, if you need to change careers, consider being a travel writer!
After enjoying the buzz and incredible atmosphere of the London Marathon last year, I was keen to get another marathon under my belt, with the added aim of besting my previous marathon PR, which I set back in Edinburgh in 2018.
This year, I set the sights wider and so on Sunday the 16th of March I took part in the Barcelona Marathon. After all, incorporating a city break with a marathon seemed like a good way to kill two birds with one stone and make use of the time spent slugging away at those hard winter miles in the cold, wind and rain in some warmer climes…
Or so I thought. Getting wrapped up in it all, I ambitiously packed my best shorts and a colourful selection of t-shirts in the hope I could wander about in the Mediterranean warmth and sip sangria on some sun-kissed beach or balcony. Alas, upon arrival, Barcelona was giving serious A259 training vibes from the middle of February. Just as well I took my big coat last minute after all!
Treating it as a bit of a mini break, it was a great opportunity to take in everything Barcelona has to offer both before and after the event from Gaudi’s architectural delights to some great tapas stops. I also figured the marathon would be a great way to soak up even more of the city and that proved to be the case.
We stayed in a hotel that was literally 2 minutes from my start pen, so it allowed for a leisurely buffet breakfast and a much more indulgent toilet experience in the room compared to the norm (no portaloos here!) and by this point, the sun had also made an appearance.
The event itself is well established with 2025 being the 46th edition and this year’s event attracted 27,000 runners with over 60% of the total field being made up of international entrants from 109 nationalities.
The course is relatively flat coming in at around 400ft ish of elevation and it started right in the heart of the city in Placa de Catalunya. The 42.2 km route snaked through the main avenues taking in famous landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia, the historic old port and out along the beachfront before heading back to the city centre to finish under the arc of Barcelona’s own Arc de Triomf.
Having learned some hard lessons in London last year, I’ve worked hard on trying to be more consistent with my pacing and reining myself in if I felt I was getting too carried away with the pack. Going into the event, my dream time was scraping under 3:30 and getting to mile 20 I could feel the winter training making the difference, so I dug deep for the final 10k to break the marathon split at 3:27:45 before crossing the finish line at 26.75 miles(!) in 3:31:33, a new PB and a result I’m very happy with.
Looking back now I couldn’t have asked for more and I’m chuffed with how it all went. It was a day when, following a good training block, it just came together with perfect conditions and fantastic crowd support all the way round.
As an event and for anyone looking to do a well-connected European marathon it’s definitely an event I would recommend. Barcelona has so much to see and do, with cheapish flights, if booked well enough in advance, and an abundance of hotels close to the start and finish to make the whole experience that little more comfortable.
An incredible trip from start to finish and to come away with a new marathon PB was just the cherry on the top. The first of three this spring with Brighton Marathon, followed by Manchester next…
Goodwood Cycling Party(!) – Sunday 16th March 2025
Many thanks for Mark Sole for sharing his thoughts on the Goodwood Cycling event on Sunday, which saw a group of Tuffs cycling various distances on various types of bikes (though not, sadly, the penny farthing Mark mentions):
16th March could always be seen as a day of varied weather, but most likely a little chilly!!
However, plenty of Tuffs turned up on a wide range of cycling equipment! It really does show that the most important part of cycling, is turning up and cycling!! We had Clare and Adam trying their new TT bikes, getting comfortable. Hazel was on her gravel bike. There was a penny farthing there too!!
It’s nearly always going to benefit your fitness and seeing what you can expect from a triathlon race. For example, the better your bike fitness then the better your run will be! However, the bike is only delivering you to be able to run!!
But that’s possibly why we love triathlon, the fine balancing act of putting it all together!!! It doesn’t matter who you are, what you are good at or not so good at, it’s about being the best you can be on the day!!
Goodwood is normally windy! But it’s a level playing field and safe space for improving!
Everyone was enjoying themselves!! You can go your own pace, do your own thing and not get lost!!
It was great to see everyone! I look forward to seeing more and more Tuffs enjoying their cycling soon!!!
parkrun Round Up
Saturday 8th March 2025
Tuffs were represented far and wide at parkrun on Saturday 8th March. As usual, Littlehampton topped the charts with Steve Fryer, Fraser Kidd, Amy Kidd, Wendy Frost, Emma Hinton, Adrian Oliver, Steve Bridgeman and Chris Evans all running. Chris was also on the volunteering team, along with Hope Newcomer. Congratulations to Amy on a PB and to Wendy for her 2nd course PB in a row!
Over in Worthing, Dave March, Paul Fielder, Jay McCardle, Hazel Sheward and Sue Pinky were all flying the Tuff flag. Stephen Feest ran at Seaford Beach, while Colin and Sue Simpson were inland at Wakehurst Place. Further afield, Sue Douglas ran at Cranleigh, Al Evans at Bartley Park in the New Forest and Trevor Harvey at Colby parkrun in Pembrokeshire.
Saturday 15th March 2025
Saturday 15th March saw great parkrun action as usual. It was pleasing to see Bob Rogers back from injury at Littlehampton, along with Fraser Kidd, Emma Hinton, Adrian Oliver, Amanda de Ridder, Clive Doughty, Al and Chris Evans. This week, Al was on volunteering duty with Hope Newcomer.
In Worthing, Paul Fielder reached the milestone of 50 parkruns and Nina Tully ran her 200th parkrun. Well done both of you! Also running at Worthing were Danny Cunnett, Ed Lay, Les Pearce, Malcolm Sheward and Hazel Sheward.
Clive and Trevor Harvey ran at their usual Bognor and Maidenhead parkruns, while Stephen Feest visited Upton House parkrun and James Mapley ran at Somerdale Pavilion parkrun. Well done everyone!
