West Sussex Fun Run League

These pages display all you need to know the West Sussex Fun Run League.

• Burgess Hill and the fun run league
• league how the league started
• from past to present
• the scoring system explained
• roll of honour - past winner

Burgess Hill Runners are relative newcomers to the fun run league, entering for the first time in 1995 - finishing 13th. Since then we have gone from strength to strength finishing 2nd in both 1998 and 1999, and then going on to win the league in both 2000 and 2001.

Any Burgess Hill Runners wanting to enter any of these fun runs should add their name to the entry lists available at our Wednesday night training sessions.

Futher race and entry details are avaliable on the WSFRL website page.

The idea of the League was that of David Bridges who at the time was Recreation Officer for Horsham District Council and also secretary of Horsham Joggers. David Bridges was familiar with the MABAC Fun Run League, operating in Surrey, and believed that there was a need for a similar league in Sussex for joggers and fun runners without the serious intensity of road and cross-country racing under AAA's rules.

David Bridges called a meeting at his home, via the local press and "Jogging Magazine" (now "Running Magazine") which took place on 22nd October 1982. Such was the interest that it was standing room only. Present at that original meeting were representatives from Arunners, Horsham Joggers, Portslade Hedgehoppers, Worthing & District Harriers, Appleyard Amblers, Barns Green, Crawley Joggers, Distillers C02 Runners and Lodsworth Village.

A race calendar for 1983 was agreed and ProNutro, a breakfast cereal company, agreed to act as initial sponsors until June 1983. The Barns Green half-marathon arose out of this meeting and, although no longer part of the League's race calendar, continues successfully today. The first race calendar was as follows:

A scoring system reflecting participation, as well as winning, the award of spot prizes and the key principle that events should be cheap to enter (£1 per runner), with the net proceeds ideally being donated to charity, were all agreed.

Since that initial meeting a number of changes to the scoring system have been made, the last fundamental change being made in 1998, but the general ethos of the League has remained, namely to encourage jogging for all ages and abilities.

Today 17 clubs comprise the league as follows:

Separate events for juniors are now organised by many clubs. The WSFRL have provided an advice sheet for juniors and parents.

Public liability insurance up to £2 million is paid by the League covering all events included in the League's race calendar.

To celebrate the League's 10th anniversary, a relay event was held in 1993 in the grounds of Christ's Hospital School with individual trophies presented to all participants. This relay was subsequently held in Hove Park, with the proceeds being used to finance the League's expenses. A team trophy was donated by Arena 80 and last won by Southwick Strollers in 1997.

Each club can enter as many runners as they like and will be given 1 point for every runner who completes the course, up to a maximum of 25.

In addition, there a maximum of 60 points available for performance. These points are based on the best 6 finishers from each club. All non-league runners are excluded from the results.

The 1st 20 males earn 10 points, the next 20 earn 9 points and so on. Female runners are counted separately, the 1st 8 receiving 10 points, the next 8 receiving 9 points and so on.

This gives a maximum of 85 points per race. The table below is the official scoring chart...

If there is a separate junior race, then points can be won in the same way for both participation (1 point per finisher) and performance (1st 5 finishers gain 10 points and the next 5 gain 9 points etc).

These count towards a separate junior league .

Past winners of the West Sussex Fun Run League

Notes:

• no winners were declared between 1983 and 1985
• season's 1986 to 1989 followed a different scoring system to the one outlined above
• in 1996, each club's lowest score was deducted
• following the death in 1996 of Norman Crook, a founder member of the League, his wife, Linda, kindly donated the Norman Crook Memorial Cup for club with the most points. The cup was first awarded in 1997.