Runners take part in 40th Hastings Half-Marathon

Runners prepared to cross the start line on Sea Road, Hastings, just before the start of the race at 10:30 GMT on Sunday

Runners have taken part in a special 40th anniversary Hastings Half-Marathon event.

More than 3,000 runners took part in the event which began at 10:30 GMT on Sunday, with the final participants coming in at about 15:30 GMT.

There were 10 runners participating who had taken part in all 39 previous events.

Dave Luck, president of the Hastings Lions Club, which co-runs the event with Nice Work race organisers, described the half-marathon as a "fantastic local event".

The hilly 13.1-mile (21km) route starts and finishes in Sea Road, with competitors treated to views of the town's seafront in the final few miles.

Seyfu Jamaal was the male winner, completing the course in just over 1hr 6mins, while Grace Baker was the first female to finish, with a time of 1hr 21mins.

About £250,000 was raised for charity and voluntary organisations, according to Hastings Lions.

Sylvia Huggett is the only woman to have run all 39 previous Hastings Half-Marathons

Running this year alongside three generations of her family, Sylvia Huggett, 74 , is the only woman to have run all 39 previous events.

Speaking ahead of the event Mrs Huggett said: "I am excited because we’re doing it as a family so that’s really great and it doesn’t seem 40 years.

Mrs Huggett added after enjoying taking part in the 1983 London Marathon she started running the Hastings event a few years later and had "done it ever since".

"The support around the course is amazing, whatever the weather there has always been great support," she said.

Adam Clarke and Charlie Brisley became the event's first-ever joint winners in 2023

Sylvia's son Phil Huggett-Robinson told the BBC: "On the 25th year my siblings thought it would be a really good idea if we all did it to support my mum, so now every five years we all do it to support mum."

He said the three-generation group of 11 people had a "really nice time" on Sunday, raising £2,000 for St Michael's Hospice.