Barns Green Half Marathon…where it all began.

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.”

Read more about the history of our races on our event information page.