Sussex Beacon Half Marathon - 19th Feb 2006
STUBBINGTON veteran Michael Aimable kept on going through the mud, the wind and the rain to complete the tough Sussex Beacon Half Marathon.
This is the 16th year of the event, and with 3,122 runners finishing, it was the biggest race in the half marathon's history.
The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon starts at Madeira Drive in the heart of Brighton and takes a scenic route through the old part of the town and along Brighton's seafront; returning to Madeira Drive for the finish.
Half the course is on the flat as runners make they way along the promenade. This year, for the first time, the race took runners up past the Royal Pavilion and down through The Lanes. The hilly part of the race followed the cycle track above the Brighton Marina and with conditions less than easy, it presented an undulating challenge.
The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon is a perfectly placed as part of the build up for the Flora London Marathon which Michael was using as part of his preparations for April 23rd. He took 3hrs 4min 47sec to complete the distance to finish 3,104th.
Robbie James from Lewes AC in Sussex won the race in 1hr 12min 27sec, while the first woman was Renata Antropik, an unattached runner, who completed the course in 1:23.33 to finish 47th overall.
The event included electronic timing with electronic chips in the shoe providing individual and gun times for each runner. Text messaging of individual times was also available to competitors.
The event is organised by The Sussex Beacon together with two Brighton Athletic Clubs, Arena 80 AC and Phoenix AC, St John Ambulance, Sussex Police and Brighton & Hove City Council.
All proceeds from the event help the Sussex Beacon continue to provide specialist care and support for men and women living with HIV and AIDS. Last year's event raised a record-breaking £45,000.