Essex XC Championships

Men take team silvers in muddy conditions

Colchester Harriers were runners up yet again at the Senior men’s cross Country Championships held over a tough muddy 7.5 mile course at Great Notley Country park. With 9 of the team pulling out on the day due to flu and another 4 with injuries medals looked unlikely in Essex’s best quality race of the season. But the big Harriers squad pulled out some great running form with Ramadam Osman holding on to 8th place to lead the six men team home to silver medals behind defending Champions Woodford Green. Backing up Osman to take home the silvers were Ed Mitchell 15, Allan Smalls 20, Chris Selllens 21, Nath Filer 27 and Daniel King 38. For King, the international race walker, it was his first ever county medal away from the world of race walking.

Harriers B team were 13th only 1pt off being first B team home with Colin Ridley 41, Gavin Scanlon 64, Tim Ballard 95, Alex Sales 108, Adam Garrish 110 and Chris Manby 118, putting in a strong Performance. Other men in green vests to finish were James Waterson 129, David Hilson 166, Pat Marsh 170 and Keiron Callaghan 194.

Mens team result 1. Woodford Green 73, 2. Colchester Harriers 129, 3. Southend AC 166, 4. Springfield Striders 204, 5. Eton Manor 254, 6. Havering Mayesbrook 258, also 13 Colchester Harriers B 536.

The under 17 men had a day to remember picking up team bronzes, they were Max Caulfield 9, Ermeas Aferwerki 11, Danny Millward 16 and Joe Boden 28. Sam Shorter just missed out in 30th place on a team medal.

Under 17 men’s result 1. Orion 30, 2. Thurrock 35, 3. Colchester Harriers 64.

Phillipa Baxter was 8th in the under 20 ladies race, while Hannah Watson had a superb run to finish 7th in the under 17 ladies with Lilly Waterson 22 and Daisy Hilton 25. The under 20 men saw Joe Patterson 11 and Oscar Dawson 17 both run well.

The Senior ladies were again hit by injuries but the team battled well for 7th place only missing 4th place by 3pts, Andrea James had an excellent race in 28th, with Denise Morley 29, Rebecca Cooke 33, Ella Neale 34, Jo Marks 47 and Jenny Richardson 75.

Ladies result 1. Basildon AC 28, 2. Chelmsford AC 35, 3. Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets 70, 4. Thurrock 121, 5. Orion Harriers 123, 6. Springfield Striders 123, 7. Colchester Harriers 128.

Other Results

Allen Smalls celebrated his Essex XC Silver team medal by winning the East Hanningfield trail Marathon the next day in 3:38 in very muddy conditions, Chris Panton also had a good race and was well up in the field.

The Colchester park run saw 463 runners take to the line, for the Harriers it was Fergus Crouch 4th in 18:12, Ian Haw 8th 19:00, Richard Boden 12th and Andy Raynor 14th, Rachel Dale was 4th lady, with Ray Rimbull running a personal best. The Great Notley park run saw Richard Flutter finish runner up in 19:28 and Debbie Cattermole 1st lady in 22:12.

Eraly action from the Women's race

Max Caulfield and Ermeas Aferwerki (background) in the U17 men's race

Daniel King leading Nat Filer in the men's race

Ramadam Osman finishing 8th in the men's race

Men's silver medalists - Ed Mitchell, Diane Wooller (Essex president), Nat Filer, Daniel King and Ramadam Osman