Steyning Stinger Marathon

Just down the road from me, the rain makes it like running on grease - joy. Did the Hangover Five down at Findon earlier in the year and the going was pretty similar. Went too fast downhill (just the relief of actually finding a downhill stretch I think!!) and picked up an injury.

From parking the car at the start through to 'inhaling' the full english breakfast at the end, this was fantastic.

What Simon says about the spectator friendliness of the start and finish is true (especially in bad weather); atlhough on a sunnier day, there are some great opportunities out on the course (especially on the marathon route) to see your runners coming through.

Personally I really like the staggered start that the Stinger uses; in common with many LDWA events it lets you set your own goals, set your own pace, and not get inappropriately dragged along or held back. I appreciate this might feel different on the half, but for me on the full, running my own race is all part of the challenge.

Needless to say I will be doing this again and trying to persaude some more running friends to come and give it a go.

 Cheers - Raymond

 p.s. If anybody else is doing the LDWA South Downs Marathon or Threeforts Challenge I'll see you there...might even give Beachy Head another go as it's probably about time.

What a spectacular event. Very much my slowest, wettest, windiest and muddiest marathon to date and I loved every minute of it, except the 30 minutes of high exposure coming back across Round Hill into that wind and rain!! Finishing was sublime, but I had to keep running back to Race HQ to stay warm, then some swearing as I fought to get shoes off! The breakfast did the job though, shortly followed by 2x 1/4 pounders and a large Coke from the heavenly MacD's on the A24.

Thankyou Steyning for such a very professional event, and the Mars Bars.

Raymond - see you at South Downs, think I'm in Suffolk when 3 forts is on and Snowdonia instead of Beachy. Time now to get some real hills in my legs ready for the Picnic, hopefully on a nice summers day!!

 Top tip if it's been raining; a pair of these.

Walsh PB's; they're light and very grippy.

Cheers - Raymond

I've done this event nearly every year since it started - including in the infamous horizontal sleet in 2007 - but have never known conditions like they were on Sunday. It took a major effort just to keep upright and the downhills were absolutely treacherous. I have never been so cold and wet that I couldn't open my gels or re-tie my laces - many thanks to the kind marshals - heroes one and all - who did both for me!

Was very tempted to just do the half, but didn't want to wimp out and eventually finished in around 5 hours - much slower than usual, but feeling good at the end.

Raymond, should see you at both the 3 Forts and the South Downs - my favourite marathon - as they are my numbers 99 and 100. They will definitely be warmer - and hopefully drier!

Anyone know how the Stinger compares to Beachy Head? Have done Beachy Head 12 times but never done the Stinger- which 1 is harder?