Running Together Since 1991

35 years of the Midhurst Milers

A brief history and Club activity

by Neil Strachan

Midhurst’s England Athletics affiliated running club, Midhurst Milers, formed in 1991 has grown and adapted over the years. Today the Club is a thriving community asset with a membership of 100 plus, and a junior section of 40. Rising membership numbers are due in no small part to a succession of enthusiastic volunteers.

The first of those volunteers were good friends, Howard Bidmead and Richard Smith (Smiffy). They had been competing at many local races and noted the prominence of local running clubs. Realising that Midhurst needed its own representation, they formed the Club, and meeting weekly in the old Grange they came up with the name Midhurst Milers. Advertising the Club, was achieved with stick on ‘Midhurst Milers’ lettering on running vests, and recruiting of new runners began in earnest. In November 1991 Howard and Smiffy demonstrated their enthusiasm for events near and particularly far, gaining entries for the New York Marathon, a great opportunity to fly the Milers flag. 1992 it was the London Marathon for the two of them, and then the north-east, competing in the Great North Run.

Richard Smith & Howard Bidmead - London Marathon - 1992

In addition to competing, the next step was for the Club to hold its own event. In August 1993, Howard and Smiffy with assistance from ex-England international runner and running coach, Gerry North, held the first Midhurst 10k, welcoming over 400 runners to the town. The course started at the end of West Street, junction with the mini roundabout, and consisted of a two-lap route, taking in the Petersfield Road, Severals Road and Bepton Road. This route necessitated temporary road closures of both principal A roads through the town, and an army of volunteer marshals. The Club gained considerable credibility with a well organised successful Midhurst 10k.

Sadly in September 1996, Smiffy died whilst out running, which was a huge blow to a close-knit running club. He was training for the Athens Marathon which he had longed to do. Howard subsequently ran it in his memory, and presented the medal to Smiffy’s wife. Each December the Club awards the ‘Richard Smith Trophy’ to the Outstanding Miler of the year.

The Club continued to hold the Midhurst 10k for a further sixteen years, and for the many of us who had known Smiffy, it had to be well organised in tribute to him. The profile of the event was raised further when the Club was invited to incorporate the Sussex 10k Championships into the Midhurst 10k in 2007 and 2008. In its last years the race was attracting in excess of 700 runners and the logistics for the event were causing some headaches – particularly car parking, and with busier Sundays, we sensed road closures of both principal roads in Midhurst could prove unpopular with locals. As a consequence, with the assistance of the National Trust for two years we moved the event off-road, with a race consisting of two 5k loops round Petworth Park.

Tim Young - Grizzly - 2008

Midhurst Milers & Liss Runners - joint fun run - 2001

The Milers team for National X-country champs - 2001

However taking advantage of the increasing popularity of trail running, we believe we found the ideal location for our annual event, and since 2022 we have held the Midhurst Milers 10k on the South Downs at Cocking on Public Rights of Way on Cowdray and West Dean Estates land. The organising team start planning the event six months in advance, with risk assessments, gaining trail race licences, land owner permissions, medals, prizes and a bagpiper all having to be arranged! As a Club we take great pride in putting on what we judge to be a tough, but rewarding trail race.

In addition to the Cocking Trail race, since 2024 the Club has been invited by the Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust, to organise the Blackdown Hill Challenge, a 6.5k trail run from Fernhurst’s Recreation Ground to the ‘Temple of the Winds’ on the south-east corner of Blackdown Hill, the highest peak in Sussex. This race is a similar to the Cocking 10k in that it crosses many contours in quick succession. Cocking has a 280metre elevation gain, whereas the shorter Blackdown run has a 250metre gain and really does feel like a fell run, albeit in Sussex! For both these events the Club organises junior trail events for 6-11, and 12-15 year olds, which have proved very popular.

Paul Williams - Blackdown Fell Race 2025

In addition to our own events, Milers compete in numerous local and national events. including 5k Park Runs, where there is likely to be a Miler competing somewhere almost every weekend. As an England Athletics affiliated club we qualify for a place in the London Marathon, with a name drawn out of a hat each December. Other favoured events include, the South Downs Relay, with a team of six, running three non-consecutive legs between Beachy Head and Winchester. This is another tough event, but a great way to get to know your fellow Miler, a day spent together in a minibus competing against 50 other teams. Best result, 11 hrs 24 mins. Another local favourite is the Serpent Trail, with a route that snakes across our ‘home-turf’, west, West Sussex. Options include 100k, 75k, 50k or 20k. Other local events include venues, such as the Arundel Castle 10k, Gibbet Hill 10k (Haslemere), the Chichester Half, Bognor Prom 10k and the Harting 10 Trail. Ultra distance events have become increasingly popular in recent years. For Milers the South Downs Way 100 has proved a draw, with Miler, Paul Williams completing the 100 miles in 22 hrs 39 mins in 2024. Other notable performances over the years include: our team qualifying twice for the National Cross-Country Championships, and Emma Taylor-Gooby reaching the Olympic trials for 10,000 metres in 2012. We have had other top performances over the years, but as a Club we are focused on getting everybody out training and competing whatever their speed. We get large numbers, up to thirty Milers, on training nights and even more for the Sunday run. We regularly hold Couch to 5k courses, which provides a graduated introduction to running for new runners.

Jackie Saffrey - Serpent Trail 50k

Organised training occurs three times a week, with training runs likely to be anything up to 10k on weekday evenings, and further on a Sunday. Our coaches also organise more formal training sessions, possibly hill reps, Fartlek or similar. As a Club centred in Midhurst, we are spoilt for choice on training locations, and we use the great trails in all four quadrants from Midhurst: north-east, the ‘mast run’ on Bexleyhill; north-west, Woolbeding Common; south-west, Stedham and Iping Common, and south-east Heysott and Ambersham Commons. Probably because we spend 90% of our training off tarmac, over the years we have become more of a trail running club. How does this work in the winter you may wonder? Every Miler has a headtorch and much of our training remains on the aforementioned wet and muddy trails – it’s great fun! Other training runs that are regularly on the programme, include pub runs in the summer months, sometimes linking up with other local running clubs. Our other annual favourite is the Solstice Run on 21 st June, an evening run to the Devil’s Jumps on the South Downs from either Midhurst or Cocking, to watch the sunset and then run back.

The Club is thriving at 35, here’s to the next.................