Denmans Lane Dash 2023 in photos: runners don Christmas costumes for fundraising beer race in West Sussex village

The fundraising beer race in Lindfield took place on Boxing Day, December 26, and raised funds for Kangaroos Learning Disability Charity, which is based in Haywards Heath.

Some 60 competitors raced each other at 1pm along the length of Denmans Lane and back while holding their half pints.

Organiser Ray Gower said on Facebook: “Well, that is another DLD done and what a fantastic day it was! The weather was so kind to us again, which always makes for a better event. It was a tremendous turnout of entrants and a great effort was made with a great variety of fancy dress on show with our resident dinosaur making his annual appearance running or waddling alongside lots of Santas, elfs and some bouncing Kangaroos.”

Ray said both men and women took part in the fun. This year’s ladies champion was Sophie Grimaldi who ‘had a steady hand as she beat her nearest rival comfortably’. He said the men’s race was ‘very close’ with 2022 winner Lio Robinson just being beaten this year by Jack Grodon.

Ray said: “There was a clear winner of the best fancy dress and that went to Richard Lesley who decided to go for the Ken look in his fluorescent shorts and shirt and blonde wig.”

Ray thanked Andi Frost and her team at the The Stand Up Inn for supporting the event, as well as members of the Lindfield Bonfire Society who helped marshal proceedings. He also thanked Ian and Lorna Towner who organised the registration and distribution of beer, and Roger Seymour for his road marshalling. Ray thanked all the spectators for turning up too.

He said Kangaroos Learning Disabilities charity supports both children and adults with learning disabilities. He added: “I don’t yet know the full amount that has been raised yet as some was raised by QR code donations. However, I am over the moon to say that in the two hours that people were there we raised £500 in the buckets, so a big thank you goes to all those who donated to this fantastic charity.”