Twenty Haslemere Border Athletics Club (HBAC) members headed to Minley Manor for the popular Hart 4 relay – now in its fifth year.

Teams of four tackled as many laps as possible of a four-kilometre off-road course in four hours, navigating woodland paths, grassy stretches and testing hills.

With gazebos pitched in the race village, refreshments flowing and music in the air, the day had a festival atmosphere. At precisely 10.30am, the first runners set off, batons in hand, and the “run fun” began. HBAC fielded five teams, clocking up an impressive 52 laps in total.

Team “Our Harts Will Go On” – Charlotte Finden, Christina Archer, Issy Peters and Philomel Bennett – completed 13 laps in 4:14.06, claiming third place in the female team category. First-timer Nina Dunleavy, running with team “Last Minute”, recorded HBAC’s fastest lap of the day in 17.02.

Meanwhile, Laura Smith swapped hills for water and wheels at the Dorney Lake standard triathlon. Equipped with a new bike, she produced splits of 26.45 (swim), 1:13.46 (cycle) and 47.36 (run), finishing in 2:31.28 – ninth female overall and second in her age group. Remarkably, she set a ten-kilometre personal best at the end of the triathlon.

Ten HBAC athletes lined up for the Harting 10, a challenging multi-terrain race along the South Downs. With a steep hill start and rolling countryside to conquer, five of the runners were tackling the event for the first time. First home was Dean Kellaway in 1:19.07, followed by Philomel Bennett (1:22.15, V50 winner), Charlotte Finden (1:29.14), Tom Bampton (1:29.56), Steph Moss (1:42.45), Dave Bateman (1:55.03), Karen Goddard (1:55.54), Helen Crainey (2:07.15), Ann Varnes (2:09.55), and Sarah Barnett (2:10.35).

By Ann Varnes