Event Information
Run Barns Green is a festival of running for all the family hosted near Horsham, West Sussex. Our races include the half marathon, 10K, and 5K races, as well as the Jennings Junior Jog for the youngsters. The races are run on closed roads through the beautiful West Sussex countryside, with the half marathon and 10K routes passing through the historic Christ’s Hospital school.
We have live music at the start/finish and live bands and music along the route, where there are water stations, distance markers, marshals and of course the support of all the locals and spectators.
How to Get Here
Set in the heart of the beautiful West Sussex countryside, our race headquarters is in the Barns Green Village Hall just 4 miles southwest and less than 10 minutes drive from Horsham.
There are three large car parks which are in use on Race Day and car parking is free although it would be terrific if you could make a donation to our official charity to one of the collectors in the car parks.
Muntham Drive
Barns Green
Nr Horsham
West Sussex
RH13 0NH
Event History
In the winter of 1981, Barns Green Football Club asked Alan Train, the newly appointed Head of Muntham House School if they could use the school’s floodlit tennis courts for training. He agreed and said that in the interests of promoting good relations with the local community there would be no charge.The footballers very much appreciated this and asked if there was anything they could do in return for the school. The Head said that they were always in need of various items of equipment and that at the moment they were hoping to acquire a camcorder.
One Sunday morning thirteen footballers, the Head and his two sons took part in a sponsored ten-mile run which raised the necessary £350. Afterwards, they celebrated in the Village Club, and it was at this time that it was decided to organise a Half Marathon sometime during the next year.
Members of the First Committee
David Francis, Roy Francis, Keith Hotchkiss, Jacqui Lilley, Bob Lilley, Roy McCormick, Paul Toms and Alan Train.
The First Run
This was held in 1982 and attracted just over one thousand runners. The number of entries surprised the committee, and as entry was on the day there was an air of panic as a seemingly endless line of cars rolled into the village. Many members of the tennis club had volunteered to register runners and hand out pins and numbers but ten minutes before the start time it seemed an impossible task.
The committee had worked hard over many months to acquire a full road closure, but if it was to be ‘valid’ they would have to adhere rigidly to the timings.
The race was scheduled to start at eleven o’clock, but at three minutes to, athletes were either still registering or warming up in the grounds at Muntham. (The start line was on the school’s boundary, and the grid stretched back towards the school.)
However, when they heard an anxious plea to place themselves on the grid, they magically slipped into formation. With less than a minute to go and much to the relief of the committee, all one thousand were ready to race.
The Race Motto
‘Vincit Qui Patitur’ (‘He who endures Conquers’) had been Alan Train’s personal motto, and the committee accepted his suggestion that it would be appropriate for such an event.
Success
Following the first event in 1982 The President of Sussex County AAA wrote, “Here we have a race initiated by a few local jogging enthusiasts … blossoming in a short time to the largest road race in Sussex, respected for its efficient organisation and welcomed by joggers and AAA Club members alike.”
Results of the First Race
Men
Women
Veteran Men
Veteran Women
Local Awards
Men
Women
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