In May 1971the Club Started the Town Race, a cross country event for non-

specialist runners, while in August the Men’ team won the Sussex Inter-Club

Trophy for the first time. The men followed this up the next year by winning the

Barker Trophy, the McCaffrey Trophy and once again the Sussex Inter-Club

Trophy. Quite a year for the men.

In April 1973 the men’s team repeated the success of the previous year by again

winning a hat trick of trophies. During the next year the Club really started to grow

and by 1977 the men’s Cross Country section was winning Bronze medals in the

County Championships, finishing third in the Sussex League and competing in the

National Championships for the first time.

During 1978 Hastings won the Boxley Trophy and ladies races were included for

the first time. It was also the first year that the ladies team competed in the

Southern Women’s League. In October the Club organized the 1066 Sea Front

Races as part of ‘Hastings Day’. This year the Club was awarded the Elca Hillier

Shield by the Sports Council.

Club History