Foxy Ladies Running Club

Tag: london marathon

Marathon Magic
Class of 2024

There is always a lot to celebrate at Foxy Ladies with so many inspiring women in our club, we do like to make a fuss of our marathon runners and this year is no exception. With seven members taking on Brighton and a whopping ten in the London Marathon, we believe it’s an absolute bumper year for us and defiantly worth a mention.

Wet n wintery training

So many of our ladies battled through a very wet winter in their bid to get all their necessary training done. Some missed weeks due to injury or illness, but soon bounced back and were back on plan or altered their existing one as required. What was wonderful to witness (and is ever present in our club) was the magnitude of support for the ladies, both during their training runs and then in attending various fundraising events for the charities that some of the ladies organised. The fundraising amount required by charities is quite high these days, so the ladies had to work hard on different events to raise the money for their race place and chosen charity.

First Timers

We had lots of first-time marathon runners at both events, but you wouldn’t have noticed as they efficiently executed their lap of glory to collect that all important medals. Smiles all round from our runners, some stopping for much needed hugs and supplies and others cracking on against the clock. They were all truly amazing and no doubt have already inspired next year’s entrants amongst the club.

Supporters

Again, the support at both races, from the rest of the Foxy members was phenomenal, turning out in their groups in the cold wind (that was present on both the big races) to cheer on their friends, ring bells and provide snacks and hugs as required. Some members ran over to Brighton to support and tick off another training run at the same time, we also had our usual cycle support crew go over. Messages of support were sent, cards and gifts given and lots of love was sent their way on the day. With many ladies supporting from home by watching the tracking app and tuning in on the telly to capture the moment they crossed the line.

Keeping up the tradition

It is always a Foxy tradition to meet up the next day at Sea Lane Cafe for a cuppa or breakfast to celebrate our Marathon legends and to see their medals and hear their stories and of course capture the famous beach shot! Well done to all our marvellous marathoners!
Foxy classic

We also celebrated Leah Simms collecting her classics medal after the London Marathon. To get this whopper of a medal, Leah also had to endure the “Ride London 100” mile bike ride and the “Swim the Serpentine” 2-mile river swim! She’s one tough cookie and brilliant at all three disciplines, she regularly takes part in triathlons as well as coaching triathletes. Congratulations Leah what a mega medal!

Ultra distances achieved

From road marathons to Ultra trail marathons. Amy Perry one of our supreme Ultra distance runners, quietly took on the South Downs Way 50-mile challenge just a couple of weeks ago. This mammoth run was from Worthing to Eastbourne with lots of hills along the way. Amy had been packing in training around work and family life often running long distances back-to-back in preparation. She has now also invested in some poles after seeing other runners have success with them in other ultra events. Amy was worried about making the 13-hour cut off time but came in with plenty of time to spare, true testament to all her training and prep. This is Amy’s longest run to date, but I am not sure it is her last. Way to go Amy this is an outstanding achievement.

Off to the seaside

A gorgeous sunny day saw five foxes take on the Ultraviolet “Run to the Sea” 50km https://www.ultravioletrun.co.uk/. Starting in the beautiful grounds of Christ’s Hospital and following the downs link route to Bramber, this stunning run then took a turn upwards to incorporate Truleigh Hill, Devils Dyke and other such climbs. It was the gift that kept on giving but so worth it for the amazing views and peaceful countryside. All these ladies were first time Ultra runners, but have done road marathons before, (some only a couple of weeks ago) so this was unknown territory for them. The support from Foxy members along the route was incredible as well as friends and family. Everyone came in with smiles on their faces for what they had just achieved. Amazing efforts ladies.
Then finishing in Mid Sussex

11 Foxes took on and completed the Mid Sussex 3-day marathon event https://midsussexmarathon.co.uk/. With three different start points, East Grinstead-10 miles, Haywards Heath-10 miles, and Burgess Hill-6 miles, it makes for an interesting run. These runners experienced all weather fronts too and over varying terrains …trails, hills, mud up to their ankles and a little bit of road running thrown into the mix too. Some say it’s harder to do then a marathon in a day, as you eat, sleep, run, repeat but that didn’t put them off and neither did the relentless rain. On completing day 3 they could then collect their beautiful medals that all stack together. Awesome job ladies.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3
May 9, 2024
Marvellous Marathons and Unforgettable Ultras
From Brighton to London

The formidable Foxy Ladies have turned out on mass this year to take part in road marathons in Brighton and London. We were delighted to follow, support and witness the training journey for our first time marathoners and those returning for a rematch. They trained hard for months through all conditions in the winter, putting in the time on their feet and the miles in their running shoes. They made sacrifices along the way and got through blood, sweat and tears, but my goodness did all that hard work pay off.

Brighton Beckons

With Brighton being our local one, the support from other Foxy members and their own family around the course really helped our ladies cover those 26.2 miles. What started as a cold chilly day and nasty wind along the seafront ended up being quite sunny in the end. The ladies took every mile in their stride and supported each other around the course. They showed strength and determination but also their true characters by enjoying it and smiling their way round. For those first timers this was an event and a challenge and they will have memories that will last a lifetime. They have also inspired others already to enter for next year.
Our Beautiful Brighton Marathon Runners April 2023 – Sharon Hunter, Luise Tavender, Helen Carter, Kirsty Cook, Gilly Denyer and Gaynor Toms.

London calling

In London, we were lucky enough to have eight ladies taking part, either through charity or ballot places. These ladies had joined forces with a lot of the Brighton marathon girls to help get through their training. Together their long training runs took them out past Littlehampton and Wick, over to Shoreham and along the Downslink from Horsham. The variety ensuring they didn’t get bored but were also that they were able to be joined by so many of the other Foxy Ladies for parts of the mileage along the routes. The friendships formed along the way have been an unexpected bonus.

The day saw a lot of rain fall but that really didn’t dampen spirits, they all just seemed so thrilled to be part of one of the greatest and most famous, iconic marathons in the World. Foxy supporters travelled up in their groups offering encouragement and supplies. They were rewarded with hugs with smiles and tears of happiness from our resilient and capable runners. The atmosphere in London is always electric and the crowd support makes all the difference, the buzz lasts for a few days and its almost as difficult to sleep after the event as it is before! Our ladies absorbed the energy from the crowds and used it to get them over that famous finishing line in The Mall. Every Fox that took part was absolutely delighted to have completed it and those that were doing it for charity have raised a brilliant amount of money and awareness along the way.

As is tradition in our club, all the Marathon Runners from Brighton and London meet up the next day to have a little photo shoot at the beach near Sea Lane and to come together to celebrate their achievements.

The Luscious London Marathon Runners April 2023

Sam Roper-Brooks, Amy Perry, Caroline Sims, Sarah Roper-Brooks, Trudi Ryan, Vicky Long & Ellen Groves.

From Roads to Trails and somewhere in between

Best of Both?

Sometimes if you fancy a challenge but don’t want to do it all in one go, its good to try it out in bite sized chunks and that’s exactly what three of our ladies did over bank holiday weekend. The Mid Sussex Marathon is a 3 day event totalling a marathon distance and rewarded with 3 medals that all connect – what’s not to love about that! Day 1 is a trail 10 miles in East Grinstead, Day 2 is a road 10 miler in Haywards Heath lots of hills and Day 3 is a 10km in Burgess Hill with more mud and trails and hills. The ladies described the event as amazing, friendly, well organised and well marshalled. Two of our ladies that completed this are grandmothers so we are not only very impressed but so are their grandchildren. Well done to you all.

Marvelling at the Mid-Sussex Marathoners April/May 2023 – L- R Sonia Hunter, Lin Hughes, Judith Howarth and Hannah Boyns.

The Hills

From the busy streets of Brighton and London and well supported road marathons, to the unforgiving hills of Sussex and the Three Forts Marathon. Having done a half marathon on this course in previous years we know only too well how gruelling those hill climbs are. The full marathon gets even steeper and hillier. We had ladies take part in the half and full marathon and they all really enjoyed the route and the support from Foxes popping up around the course. Our marathon ladies had trained relentlessly on the trails during the winter months, recalling one 20 mile training run that left them cold to the bones, blue lips and crying from the sheer cold and horrendous weather conditions. These ladies did all their training together, started and finished the race together showing the depth of their friendship and commitment. The full marathon actually came in at just over 27 miles so some might say that’s an Ultra?

Our tremendous Three Forts Marathon Runners April 2023 – Katey Rea and Michelle Atkins.

Ultra Amazing!

That leads us nicely to our unbelievable Ultra runners. A week after completing London, Amy Perry reported in from an Ultra (50k) she had just completed in Winchester, called the Big Way Round. During her training Amy’s runs took her all over West Sussex as she incorporated her own challenge of running to every library in our county. Read more about that here https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/librarian-runs-to-every-library-in-west-sussex-in-training-for-london-marathon-2023-4109744 . This definitely put her in good stead for the 31 miles she endured during the Ultra which she described as well organised and super friendly. Great going Amy.
Unfazed at the Ultra May 2023- Amy Perry

Ultra Ultra …utterly unreal

Having read all the amazing challenges our ladies have undertaken in April and May, one is probably starting to feel a little tired! Now picture running 33 hilly trail miles one day and then getting back up the next day and doing it all again! That’s exactly what Foxy Leader Emma Kirwin did on the Isle of Wight, over the bank holiday weekend with her husband Miles. Following in the footsteps of fellow Foxy Sam Roper Brooks who did this last year but all in one day! Emma decided she would like to see the whole of the Island in daylight so chose the two day option, with a bonus of a weekend away. Covering one half of the Island on day 1 and the second half on day 2.

Not only did Emma endure long back to back trail training runs, in order to properly prepare herself for this challenge, she also incorporated additional strength work, stretching, mobility and nutrition in the months leading up to this.

The race included stunning views of every corner of the island and almighty hills. The terrain was ever changing from crumbling cliffs to woodland with deep mud to beautiful promenades, she described it as incredible. Only suffering with some sore toes, undeniably all the hard work and preparation Emma put in meant that her body didn’t suffer too much when being asked so much from it. What an epic challenge this was and one that will stay with them forever.

Unbelievable Ultra completed Isle of Wight April 23

Emma & Miles Kirwin

Run to the Sea

Fourteen foxes embarked on one of their toughest runs ever, when they took on Run to the Sea this year. Having trained well like our marathon runners, these ladies put all that to the test along with a huge amount of mental strength, grit and determination to get them through those 31 hilly miles . The route took them from Christs Hospital to Brighton Seafront. The weather was appalling with relentless rain, fog and cold wind on the hills, which is hard to run in at the best of times let alone when you have that many miles to do.

They took strength from each other staying in small groups and helping other runners along the way. The ladies were really well supported with family and foxy members popping up along the route and giving them supplies and dry clothes. Met at checkpoint 4 by a whole team of foxes manning the aid station, giving them hugs, warming hands, topping up drinks and refuelling, helped put smiles on their faces for the last part of the journey.

These ladies gave everything they had that day, we saw experienced runners having to pull out with hyperthermia or unable to continue as the conditions had just beaten them. To see our ladies soldier though and keep going to the finish really does show how resilient they are. Encouraging each other to keep going to the finish, digging so deep to complete the challenge they set out to do. An epic performance ladies.

Unscathed Ultra runners – Run to the Sea May 20223 (from left to right) Caroline Sims, Louise Bolton, Nicola Gibson, Natalie Atheron, Clare Packer, Lesley Kovacs, Karen Phillips, Vickie Franklin,Sarah-Louise Meeton, Luise Tavender, Helen Carter, Anya Watson, Helen Monk, Sarah Roper-Brooks.
You will not find a stronger, more determined, dedicated and most supportive encouraging group of women as the members of Foxy Ladies Running Club. Over the last couple of months our club has witnessed, the very best of all these attributes and we are so proud of all our members, none more so than the women featured in this article today.
May 17, 2023
Sorry we have been a bit quiet…..
It’s been a bit busy over the last 6 months…. what have we been up to?

London to Brighton Bike Ride

Back in June last year, a group of Foxes who had previously signed up in 2019 (pre pandemic) to the London to Brighton Bike Ride, finally got to take part. Ten members (plus a friend of the foxes Laura) swapped their running trainers for wheels, to challenge themselves and raise money for the British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/events/london-to-brighton-bike-ride a charity close to many of their hearts.

With Leah (a tri-athlete and former half iron man competitor) at the helm, the group all trained hard. Often enduring the strong winds along the south’s coastal paths on lengthy training rides from Worthing to places like Rottingdean and back, or Bognor. Their training had to incorporate hills in preparation for some of the nasty ones along the route, thankfully this is something they all were familiar with from their hill running sessions.

The ladies meticulous planning and logistical prep worked well, however the hostel was 3 miles from the start at Clapham Common. Even with the scheduled start times the sheer number of participants and bikes on the road was overwhelming on occasions but spread out after the first 10 miles. The group naturally divided with the miles but they ensured in true foxy style that no fox was left behind. Sticking to one of the two groups of ladies they waited for each other at the fuel stops that were really well placed every few miles along the route. Extra vaseline, sun cream, food and hydration were applied, eaten and drunk when necessary and they considered themselves really lucky with the weather and only a couple of minor scrapes and no punctures! Ditchling Beacon was certainly a challenge and all the ladies were chuffed with their achievements up that mighty hill, some managing it non stop.

All of the Foxy ladies Go Cycling group made it to the finish line triumphant, relieved and tired but absolutely buzzing with excitement at completing it. They then had another few miles to get to Hove Station for bike pick up and the journey home. Even more rewarding was a few days after the ride seeing that they had raised over £2500 and in the top 5% of fundraisers for the event.

Leaving the Hostel

At the start

All smiles at top of the Beacon

We made it to the top of Ditchling Beacon

Feeling great at the finish

Swim n Run

Every summer for the first Monday of each month the Foxy Ladies pitch up at Arundel Lido at 6pm and swim 16th lengths and then run a 5km and why not! We encourage all our members to try something different whether its this or something else. This is a great way without any pressure to try out a mini aquathlon and to see if its for you before committing to a race.

Its about the experience and sharing that experience with others that leaves people feeling so exhilarated after. Everyone that tried it out for the first time last year was so delighted that they had done it and said they would not have done it without the club and other members support but couldn’t wait for the next opportunity to try it again.

The Lido is in an ideal location for a road or trail run after a brisk outdoor swim and the stunning Arundel Castle it’s back drop. The ladies hop out the water pull on their trainers and run off straight away to replicate minimal transition times as if they were to race. The Lido are very accommodating and staff always happy to help so why not give it a try.https://arundel-lido.com/

June 2022

August 2022

Races ….so many races

As a club we take part in so many races every month so we often don’t really mention them apart from on our own club or personal social media. In 2022 we saw an absolutely magnificent amount of races and members attending them, mainly due to the fact that so many were postponed in the previous years. What we love as always is trying a new or different race, supporting our ladies around a course and being at the end for the all important race finish and obligatory pics.

We tried out the new trail race at National Trust Leonardslee Gardens. That was a bit different, few different laps and a bit hilly in places and lots of lovely statues, trees and plants to look at whilst we ran. https://www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/all-events/seasonal-series
- Chilly LeonardsLee start
- Soon warmed up by the end
- Medal pose!
Marathon Heroes

Our ladies race for themselves, but also often with others in mind. Usually for reasons very close to their hearts, sometimes for lost loved ones or their own personal challenges with illnesses. Most raising money for national or local charities. Whatever their reason or motivation they are never alone, the support on training runs from others foxy members or on the side lines is always immense.

This year our ever inspiring members did that again training relentlessly through the summer for October Marathons, in London, Loch Ness and Beachy Head. They captured our hearts following their training journeys and then seeing them in action on the day. Well done to all our Marathon Heroes and Ultra-Marathon runners this year.

Supporting at Tower Bridge

Sara Hunter with all of her marathon medals

Emma Kirwin with her Loch Ness medal

Donna Wignall & Amy Perry Run to the Sea Ultramarathon Oct 20222

(From left to right) Claire Boak, Heather Wincell, Jennifer Freeman and Philippa Barker with their London Marathon medals.

The races continued with a small group travelling up North for the Great North Run and loving the route atmosphere and experience but perhaps not the travelling involved. We had another bumper turn out for the Great South Run, many doing it for the first time and making it their furthest distance, so it was good to talk about it afterwards over dinner at a great local restaurant.

Enjoying a nice meal after the 10 mile event.

Many more races have happened over the last 6 months too many to mention. We always attend the Chestnut Tree House Littlehampton 10km https://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/events/littlehampton10k/ in September and every year the Foxes swarm in their masses to support Worthing 10km. This year it was in October, which was a refreshing change from the usual hot day we usually experience in June. Again, we saw many ladies complete this distance for their first time or come away with some great personal bests, all staying to cheer in the last foxy.

Learn to Run … done!

We also squeezed a new “learn to Run Course ” in September on a Thursday evening. We were delighted when all the ladies went on to graduate late in October, supported by existing Foxy members on a blustery seafront run. Completing their non-stop 5km and obtaining their certificate with pride. This group now have their own session they attend regularly.

Festive Frolics

The year finished with our usual festive antics. Our running routes included the charity lights in the Offington area and Saxifrage way. We also the obligatory town lights run and Soldier Trail that has become a familiar event in the Foxy Calendar. We had a huge turn out for the festive park run on Christmas Eve, some members achieving pbs even dressed as elves!!

After Christmas we completed our annual Pier to Pier run. This year opting for the wind behind us and running from Worthing to Brighton instead before catching the train home. Last but by no means least approximately 30 members turned out in the pouring rain to get even wetter and muddier at the Brutal. https://brutal.run/events This is an 8km course in the old Army base in Longmoor, Hampshire on New Years Eve. With waist high water, steep hills and muddy bogs to crawl through everyone did so well to come back with smiles on their faces and both shoes on their feet. We had whole families take part and we have the ultimate respect for our junior girls that took part that day as water levels were so high and conditions very bleak.
That concludes the end to another fun packed running year for the Foxy Ladies Running Club. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2023.
January 7, 2023