Gates finds long trip worthwhile

Gates made a late decision to race and drove to his mother-in-law's house in Bedford on the Friday night and then undertook the 250-mile drive to Keswick on the morning of the race.

Despite the journey Gates stormed away right from the start of the over-50 12km race that climbed some 2,000 feet.

Gates said: 'The early part was not too bad. It was just a steep climb, but after that it was a case of scrambling over rocks and boulders to the top of Lonscale Fell.

'I'm not good at running down over this rough terrain but I had established a good lead and I knew that if I could manage to keep my nose in front until we were past the boulders on the return journey I could fly down the grassy hill.

'Although I was expecting to be overtaken I was still ahead with three kilometres left and then I just let my legs take me home.

'Times are only relevant in these races if you regularly compete on the same course, but I was more than pleased to finish well inside the hour and nearly two minutes ahead of Steve Jackson from Horwich.

'Now it will be a few weeks rest and light training for me before the cross-county season.'

Hailsham athletes Sacha Henty and Sarah Moore won gold and silver medals respectively at the final Sussex Championship event of the season when they contested the Under Pentathlon events at Crawley.

Henty won the boys' title with a total of 2,346 points; nearly 200 points clear of his Eastbourne Rovers clubmate Sebastian Rodgers.

Henty leapt 5.31m in the long jump, clocked 12.51sec in the 80m hurdles and putt the shot 9.48m. He cleared 1.39m in the high jump and completed his five disciplines with a good clocking of 2min 17.49sec in the 800m.

In the same event Chris Pilling from Lewes finished fifth with 1,949 points. He cleared 4.57m in the long jump, recorded 12.73m in the 80m hurdles, putt the shot 9.78m, cleared 1.60m in the high jump and clocked 3min 04.42sec in the 800.

In the girls' event it was ironic that the winner was Brighton & Hove's Bella Hailstone, who replaced Sarah Moore when she withdrew from the South East Area Schools Pentathlon at the end of June.

It was a fine battle as Moore scored 2,508 points, just 64 points behind the winner.

A long jump of 4.76m was followed by 13.26sec for the 75 metres hurdles, 7.04m in the shot putt, a good high jump of 1.56m and an 800m in 2min 49.79sec.

Eleanor Harley from Lewes finished eighth, totalling 1,752 points.

In the under-17 women's heptathlon Emily Woodall and Chi Chi Onuora from Lewes finished sixth and eighth respectively with totals of 2,728 and 2,493 points.