Hastings Half Marathon

Sifan Hassan of Netherlands 🇳🇱 wins the Marathon in an Olympic Record 02:22:55.

Tamrat Tola of Ethiopia 🇪🇹 took gold in the Men's event yesterday in another Olympic Record time of 02:06:26.

Two incredible times on a tough course in Paris.

WELCOME 🙏🏼

A big welcome to our new followers and those who have registered to run HHM for the first time!

We're a friendly bunch... Hastings once had one of the biggest half marathons in the country, we're here to continue the legacy and ensure everyone has fun while doing it!

Sylvia here (left) has completed every single one, so if you've ran a particularly tough HHM in the past, so has Sylvia (and nine other runners!) 😅

We're back! Did you miss us? We hope you've enjoyed a break from thinking about Queensway 😅

Here's what you can look forward to in the next few months:
🏅 2025 brass & t-shirt reveal
🔥 NEW range of merchandise
🎵 Official training playlist
🤝 Interviews, photos, exclusive deals for runners
💥 Much, much more

We can't wait to get started!

Nice Words:

It's mental health awareness week and we're about to begin a special week dedicated to breaking the silence and stigma around mental health in our running community.

As part of our ongoing commitment to wellness, both physical and mental, we're proud to launch our Nice Words campaign.

This initiative is designed to encourage you, our fantastic runners, to share your experiences, support one another through talking and listening, and discuss the impact running can have on our mental well-being.

Throughout this week you can text 2NICEWORK, 5NICEWORK or 10NICEWORK to donate £2, £5 or £10 to our charity partner for the campaign, Samaritans Texts cost the donation plus one standard network rate.

Finally, if you have a personal story about how running has played an important part on your mental health that you would like to share with us, please feel free to drop us an email to [email protected]

What Does it Take to Organise the Hastings Half Marathon?

An article by Hastings Lions Club Member, Andrew Colthurst.

The short answer is a lot of effort by a lot of volunteers! This year saw the 40th anniversary of the Hastings Half Marathon, an event that has been organised by members of The Hastings Lions Club since 1984 and initially led by the Club’s own Race Directors, including John Cattaway who is the longest serving current member and still plays a major role in the organising of this event. Over the intervening years many members of the Lions Club, local voluntary organisations, businesses and Hastings Borough Council have put in a huge amount of effort and sponsorship money to run and develop the Half Marathon.

In its early days the event was one of relatively few in the country, a situation that is very different now with half and full marathons featuring in many towns and cities. Whilst the competition from similar events elsewhere has increased year by year, the Hastings Half Marathon has continued to attract runners from both the local area and from well beyond, including overseas. The race always precedes the London Marathon and, as a relatively challenging half marathon, provides a good training opportunity for runners aspiring to run in the London event.

For two years during the Pandemic the Hastings Half Marathon, like most other sporting events, was severely disrupted but was rekindled in 2022 when conditions allowed. This year, saw the event fully restored both in terms of numbers of runners and the event’s finances. After the retirement of one of our Race Directors in 2022, the Lions Club was assisted in re-establishing the race by the race management contractor Nice Work, a local company specialising in the organisation and management of running events across the country and for a wide range of partners. This arrangement brought new expertise and professionalism to the event in a period when increasingly complex and demanding regulatory measures have been introduced at the same time as the physical support that used to be available from authorities such as the local council and police reduced and finally ceased altogether following budgetary and manpower constraints. Hastings Lions have established and nurtured a very good working relationship with the team at Nice Work in which the various areas of responsibility and expertise combine to carry this event forward.

We are fortunate to have within Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea and surrounding areas, a huge range of voluntary organisations. Many of these, from time to time, have been provided some financial assistance for specific projects by the Lions Club and have willingly helped with the Half Marathon on the day, as marshals, manning water stations, handing out medals and spot prizes at the finish as well as multiple other tasks with the setting up and assisting at the Event Village on the day. The local volunteer members of the public who assist as marshals along with members of our fellow Lions Clubs in Bexhill, Hailsham, Uckfield and SEBI are vital to facilitating a safe route for all our runners and spectators and are themselves able to enjoy seeing the race close up.

Local businesses have made very significant contributions both in financial sponsorship and with practical assistance. The race lead car, water, sweets and biscuits, a pick-up taxi service for exhausted runners on the route, the Communications bus at the Start/Finish, the lorry used by the warm-up team are all provided by our sponsors. The Hastings Half Marathon is an event that the members of Hastings Lions Club are extremely proud of and are dedicated to carrying forward and improving year on year alongside all the Club’s working partners and supporters. It is nothing if not a community effort that hopefully will continue to thrive and provide valuable support to local causes and the many charities that runners elect to run and raise funds for.

Next year’s Hastings Half Marathon will be on Sunday 23rd March 2025 and entries for both that and the Junior Mini Run are open now via the Nice Work web site https://www.nice-work.org.uk/e/40th-hastings-half-marathon-9315. The search is on for more volunteers to become marshals for next year’s event so please do contact Hastings Lions Club at [email protected] if you would like further information on how you might help.

The HHM25 Early Bird ticket will end at 23:59 tonight!

Tickets - https://www.nice-work.org.uk/e/hastings-half-marathon-9315

Photos from Sunday's race are now available to purchase via this link: https://search.mysportphotos.co.uk/galleries/hastings-half-marathon-2024

My Sport Photos

THANK YOU HASTINGS 😎🍾👏🏼

What a fantastic day - thank you to all our runners, marshals, spectators, supporters and sponsors, we are so grateful.

Congratulations to Seyfu Jamaal of London Heathside, Running and Athletics Club and Grace Baker of Hastings Athletic Club for their superb victories.

We hope you enjoyed it. Please comment your pictures below for our photo collage 👇🏻

Hastings Direct Sussex Premier Health Nortrade Nice Work Brewers Decorator Centres PCM Estate Agents Vegains Hastings Court Care Home The Hastings Sofa Company EF Hastings SLM Toyota Hastings Premier Travel Chauffeurs The Titanium Group

There is no official live stream 🚨

Please do not click links, they are likely to be a scam.

Good luck to the 3200 runners taking part in today's 40th Hastings Half Marathon.

Go out and enjoy it!

A message from Hastings Lions President, Dave Luck:

"Who would have thought that from humble beginnings a long time ago we would now be celebrating 40 years of the Hastings Half Marathon. Once again Hastings Lions are delighted to be involved with this fantastic local event, working alongside the Nice Work Team, to bring the community together to mark our 40th Anniversary. We would like to acknowledge, recognise and thank the hard work of the many people that have been involved with this event for the past 40 years.

We recognise what an important fundraising event this is for all those taking part on behalf of their own personal charities and admire the dedication and tenacity of all the participants in both the half marathon and the mini-run. Hastings Lions Club makes donations throughout the year to many worthy causes both locally, nationally, and internationally and your generosity and support for this event allows us to continue supporting our local community and beyond. Indeed, this event alone has
enabled us to raise and donate many thousands of pounds to many worthy causes.

We could not do this without those who continue to help with this event such as Hastings Borough Council, area marshals, route marshals, scout and youth groups, local businesses and organisations, computer operators and the many other unpaid volunteers, and are sincerely very grateful for the time and dedication that you give us - the word Thank you is simply not big enough!

We would also like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all our sponsors, some who have supported us for many years and continue to do so, and a heart-felt welcome to new sponsors this year. Your support for this event is truly appreciated.

We wish all those participating on the day the very best of luck in achieving your own personal goals and hope that all those watching and supporting the runners on the day enjoy cheering them on with enthusiasm and smiles on their faces. Let’s just hope that the sun shines!

Please respect our marshals 🚨

Ahead of tomorrow's race we ask that both runners of HHM and residents in the area respect each other and our marshals during the event to ensure an enjoyable day by all.

Our marshals are there to keep you and the public safe, the race wouldn't be possible without them. Please remember to say thank you as you pass them and listen to their instructions.

Tomorrow is the big day...

Months of hard work and training have been put in, but it will all be worth it 😅

👀

Just a lil heads up 😅

Now back to Sunday's race... Goodnight all!

Introducing two leading runners (who need no introduction), local athletes Rachael Mulvey of HY Runners and Grace Baker of Hastings AC!

This is set to be an extremely close call, with just 81 seconds separating their PB's. We cannot wait, spectators will certainly enjoy this one. Best of luck to both runners or perhaps another runner who will perform on the day.

It's set to be a very competitive affair on Sunday in the Men's race.

Will it be Seyfu, Ross, Marshall or perhaps another runner that will take the 40th Hastings Half Marathon? We can't wait...

Want a race day shout out when you cross the line? 🎙️

If you are running for a charity or a good cause let us know in the comments and we'll pass them to our man on the mic Andy Knight!

It's HHM week!

P.S. Entries for the 2025 Hastings Half Marathon will open shortly after Sunday's race... Keep an eye out for the launch!

ONE week to go!

168 hours, 7 days, half a fortnight??

Enjoy your final Sunday before race day!

Important information regarding road safety

While the course is closed for the majority of the event, some cars (such as those that live on the route) can occasionally find their way into the race. Please be observant when running and keep well to the left unless instructed otherwise.

A back up vehicle will follow the tail runners from five miles. If, at any time, you require a lift back to the start line, please ring Premier Travel Chauffeurs on 01424 446655 for a free lift.

After 13:00 roads will be fully opened and the marshals, medical team and drinks stations will begin standing down.

Sussex Premier Health is proud to be sponsoring The 40th Hastings Half Marathon on Sunday 24th March 2024.

The Hastings Half Marathon is a huge event in Hastings, attracting runners from all over the world who want to take on the challenging 13.1 mile course around Hastings.

As a headline sponsor, Sussex Premier Health will have a tent down at the start/finish line and have entered a team of Sussex Premier Health runners into the race.

# HastingsHalfMarathon

"It's great to just go out and enjoy it!" 🎙️

Our interview with Sylvia Huggett, the only lady to have ran every Hastings Half Marathon, is available now via the Nice Work blog:

https://www.nice-work.org.uk/news/2500-an-interview-with-sylvia-huggett-the-lady-who-has-ran-every-single-hastings-half-marathon

We would like to extend our thanks to another headline sponsor of this year's Hastings Half Marathon - Sussex Premier Health.

Sussex Premier Health is a private healthcare provider delivering outstanding care to patients in Sussex, Kent and the surrounding areas.

Visit their website - https://www.sussexpremierhealth.com/ for more information or to make an enquiry.

TWO weeks to go!

If you've not booked already, the race is nearing capacity. Book to avoid disappointment.

A threat to the course record?

We are delighted to announce Seyfu Jamaal will join us at this year's Hastings Half Marathon 🎉

Seyfu won the 2019 London Landmarks Half Marathon and set a new course record in doing so.

Today is the final day to order a HHM t-shirt delivered to your home address!

Limited/no stock available to purchase on the day.

Purchase yours here - https://www.nice-work.org.uk/e/hastings-half-marathon-9315/products/2024-hastings-hm-t-shirt-1867

150 mini runners already booked on!

The next generation of runners will join us on March 24th with an approximate 2k race from the pier to the HHM finish line.

All those aged 7-16 are welcome to join us!

Tickets available on the Nice Work website.

The Heroes of Hastings Half 🫡

Our 10 runners who have completed every Hastings Half Marathon in its 40 year history.

All runners have contributed huge amounts to the race, we are extremely grateful for their support and long may they continue!

Congratulations and thank you to Sylvia Huggett, Stephen Roper, Raymond Grief, Sean Tyler, Mark Watson, Philip Carl Nice, John Foster, Paul Knight, Darren Barzee and Jeremy Creed.