Despite the Weather Forecast, the day dawned bright and clear on Sunday 14 September for the start of this year’s Rye & Winchelsea Rotary Club’s Fun Run.
Rye Town Crier, Rex swain has set the run in motion with his traditional cry of “When I Ring the Bell – Go like hell” for the past six years.
Riders set off in groups at intervals between 9am and 10 am and were soon wending their way across the Page Twenty-One Camber Fields on the bike path.
They came in all shapes and sizes, young and old, rich and poor. Many were sponsored and all monies collected, even the entry fees,are donated to local charities. £500 has already been earmarked for the Air Ambulance Service. The total amount had not been worked out at the time of going to press but expectations are it will be the highest amount ever.
There were feeding points at Camber, Lydd and Old Romney, where some riders who were doing the 25k run turned back. At the Oasis cafe the run split and the 100 k riders proceeded towards Hythe and the 50k. entries made their way back to Rye via Appledore and the Canal Road.
The long distance riders included many seasoned cyclists but they were supplemented by a few brave souls who were doing the 100 with little previous cycling and were suffering badly when they eventually came in sight of Rye as they approached on the Military Road.
There were many very young riders, accompanied by parents or siblings and a group of these were marshalled by Amber King and Hazel Faulkner of Rye & District Wheelers, who plan to set up more parent and children group rides to encourage youngsters to start out in the sport at an earlier age.
The Wheelers are looking for more members and especially teenagers who are interested in any aspect of the sport. The club runs group rides for all standards and has members competing in events from Time Trials to Mountain Bike racing.
The organisers, Rye & District Rotary Club are assisted by the Rye Wheelers, who had 50 riders taking part. They looked out for problems on the course and were on hand to deal with mechanical faults. Derek Bayntun is in both clubs and his liaison with Richard Popple made the event run like clockwork.
Medals were given to every rider that completed the course.
From the November 2012
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