Som(me)bering Challenge

On Friday 1st July at 7.30am Joan Woolley took her place on the start line of the Somme Centenary Challenge at Samphire Hoe on the White Cliffs of Dover. The race is to remember the 1st day of the battle of the Somme where a first wave of 120,000 soldiers went 'over the top', setting out across no man's land into the bloodiest carnage in British Army history with over 57,000 casualties in one day. The day has extra meaning for Joan as her Uncle Arthur was killed in action on that fateful day 100 years ago.

After a minute's silence, a trench whistle sounded and the runners started up the hill. The course was a 3.85 mile loop and the challenge is to complete as many as possible within 6 hours, Joan managed 7 and a distance of 26.95 miles.

The Portsmouth 5km race series continued last week with Gary Mitchell and David Skidmore both running excellent races and achieving personal bests with times of 20.04 and 20.55. Tony Hancock also ran well finishing in just under 22 minutes.

Bognor Regis Tone Zone Runners Results Portsmouth 5km Race Series : Gary Mitchell 20.04 PB; David Skidmore 20.55 PB;Tony Hancock 21.57; Summer 5 mile XC: Debbie Patching 58.16; Peter Chittenden 1.27.13 Somme Centenary Challenge : Joan Woolley 6.04.00 Mid-Summer 10k : Peter Chittenden 1.39.17