Editing Hastings (section)

==Sport==
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[[File:Hastings Half Marathon, Marina, St Leonards - geograph.org.uk - 1204815.jpg|right|thumb|Runners during the 2009 edition of the Hastings Half Marathon.]]
Every year the [[Hastings Half Marathon]] is held in the town although due to COVID-19 restrictions there was no half marathon that took place in 2020 or 2021. The 13.1&nbsp;mi (21.1&nbsp;km) race first took place in 1984 and attracts entrants from all over the country, taking runners on a route encircling the town, starting and finishing by the West Marina Gardens in St Leonards.

[[Hastings United F.C.]] is the town's oldest football team, playing in the [[Isthmian League Premier Division|Premier Division]] of the [[Isthmian League]]. It was founded in 1894 and plays its home games at The Pilot Field, which ground used to be home to two other senior clubs; [[St. Leonards F.C.|St Leonards]] and [[Hastings United F.C. (1948)|the original Hastings United]] which folded in 1985. There are football clubs in Hastings that compete in the [[East Sussex Football League|East Sussex League]], such as Hollington United, St Leonards Social and Rock-a-Nore, playing at local parks and recreation grounds about the town. United attracted sports media headlines, when in 2013 they made it to the third round of the [[FA Cup]] for the first time in their history, being the lowest ranked team left in the contest before going out – losing 4–1 to Middlesbrough.

The [[Central Recreation Ground]] was one of England's oldest, most scenic and most famous cricket grounds.  The first match was played there in 1864 and the last in 1989, after which the site was redeveloped into a shopping centre which opened in 1996.<ref name="historymap.info_2">Historical Hastings Wiki: [http://wiki.historymap.info/Central_Cricket_Ground Central Cricket Ground – Historical Hastings Wiki] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224100131/http://wiki.historymap.info/Central_Cricket_Ground |date=24 December 2019 }}, accessdate: 24 December 2019</ref> It was particularly popular with touring Australian sides who played 18 matches there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ground/57034.html|title=Central Recreation Ground – England – Cricket Grounds – ESPN Cricinfo|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311224731/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ground/57034.html|archive-date=11 March 2014}}</ref> [[Hastings and St Leonards Priory Cricket Club|Hastings Priory]] is the town's largest cricket club, having 4 teams playing competitive, as well as a large junior section. The club's home is at [[Horntye Park]], though it also makes use of the facilities at [[Ark Alexandra Academy]].

ARK Alexandra Academy sees clubs using the school as their base, such as Hastings & Bexhill Rugby Football Club, Hastings Athletic Club and [[Hastings and St Leonards Priory Cricket Club|Hastings Priory Cricket Club]] 3rd and 4th teams.

Founded in 1895 [[South Saxons Hockey Club]] is one of the largest sports clubs in Hastings and is the towns only field hockey club.  Locally known as 'Saxons' their home ground is the astroturf pitch at [[Horntye Park Sports Complex]]. Saxons field nine Saturday teams (4 Mens, 2 Ladies, 2 Boys development and a Girls development team).  Saxons also have a thriving junior section who train on a Sunday and play in county 7's tournaments. Saxons Mens 1st XI play in Kent and Sussex Regional Division One and Saxons Ladies 1st XI play in Sussex Ladies League Premier Division.

Hastings Conquerors is an American Football Club, founded in March 2013 by local resident Chris Chillingworth and currently trains at William Parker Sports College. In June 2013 when it became the UK's first Co-Operative run not-for-profit American Football club.<ref>{{cite web|title=
The Hastings Conquerors: A New Model for American Football?|date=12 January 2015|first=Travis|last=Brody|website=The Growth of a Game|url=https://www.growthofagame.com/2015/01/hastings-conquerors-a-new-model-for-american-football/}}</ref>

There are many bowling greens in the parks and gardens located about the town; the Hastings Open Bowls Tournament has been held annually in June since 1911 and attracts many entrants country-wide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hastingsbowlstournament.com/|title=Hastings Open Bowls Tournament|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625074529/http://www.hastingsbowlstournament.com/|archive-date=25 June 2006}}</ref>

Since 1920 Hastings has hosted the [[Hastings International Chess Congress]]. The annual event is held over the Christmas period at [[Horntye Park Sports Complex]]. A testament to its importance is that every World Champion before [[Garry Kasparov]] except [[Bobby Fischer]] played at Hastings including [[Emanuel Lasker]] (1895), [[José Raúl Capablanca]] (1919, 1929/30, 1930/1 and 1934/5), [[Alexander Alekhine]] (1922, 1925/6, 1933/4 and 1936/7), [[Max Euwe]] (1923/4, 1930/1, 1931/2, 1934/5, 1945/6 and 1949/50), [[Mikhail Botvinnik]] (1934/5, 1961/2 and 1966/7), [[Vasily Smyslov]] (1954/5, 1962/3 and 1968/9), [[Mikhail Tal]] (1963/4), [[Tigran Petrosian]] (1977/8), [[Boris Spassky]] (1965/6), and [[Anatoly Karpov]] (1971/2).

Hastings & St Leonards/Hastings Downs Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1893. The club disappeared in the 1950s.<ref>[http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=841 "Hastings & St Leonards/Hastings Downs Golf Club"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911014031/http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=841 |date=11 September 2014 }}, "Golf's Missing Links".</ref>

Hastings has hosted the [[World Crazy Golf Championships]] since 2003.