Colchester Harriers seniors duly wrapped up the North Essex and South Suffolk Cross Country League with another easy victory at the final fixture at a very spring like Gosfield School. The juniors also were league winners and matched the seniors with five victories from the six races and both squads were  runner up in the other match.

Ramadam Osman won the race with ease, after it had been restarted when the field all went off course due to a missing marshal early on. Osman was his normal talented self,  running away from the field early on. The reliable Chris Sellens was third, and the rest of the eight scoring men were Ermeas Aferwerki 7th, Robert Smith 22nd, Jon Nears 24th, Paul Rodgers 27th, Paul Preston 30th and John Fryer 33rd. Other finishers for the men were Fergus Crouch 38th, Russell Goodridge 46th, Dominic Nicejewski 65th, Tim Holden 69th, Kevin MacAlinden 82nd, David Wright 83rd, Sean Duffett 86th, Richard Flutter 102nd, Dan Wilkinson 107th, James Plant 116th, Keiran Callaghan 119th, Pat Marsh 127th and Craig Mitchell 162nd.

For the ladies the Harriers monopolised, finishing their team of four scorers all in the top six. Aiko Hennington in second place led the green vests home with the ever improving Helen Taczynski having her best ever finish in the league in third spot, the other two scorers was the amazing 55 year old Debbie Cattermole in 5th and Ella Neale in 6th. Other finishers for the ladies were Annette Oakman 9th, Alexandra Hennessy 15th, Kate Sandercock 16th and Rachel Rodgers 75th.

Final league positions and points 1. Colchester Harriers 35 pts, 2. Ipswich Jaffa 25pts, 3. Springfield Striders 20pts, 4. Great Bentley 17pts, 5. Witham Road Runners 15pts and 6. Harwich Road Runners 14pts.

The junior girls race saw Alexandra Bell-Cobbold runner up with Emily Henderson 9th and Missy Buxton 12th completing the scoring team, followed home by Emily Swan 14th, Grace Gardiner 15th, Alice Begg 17th Jess Longstaff 19th, Daisy Rickwood 20th, Emily Longstaff 29th, Jennifer Palmer 31st and Mia Ghignoni 46th.

Thomas Palmer was also runner up in the boys race with Victor Steinward 4th and Tommy Colsell 14th, the three scorers. Other finishers were
Charlie Parmenter 19th, Theo Gardiner 20th, William Long 23rd and Harrison Leek 27th.

First three junior teams at end of season were: 1. Colchester Harriers 7 pts, 2. Colchester and Tendring 13 pts, 3. Ipswich Jaffa 16 pts. 

A round up of park runs. Colchester Castle was won by Jason Gunn 17m 39s in his 100th Park run. He was paced around by Ramadam Osman who gentlemanly let Gunn have the glory on his big day. Helen Taczynski was the female winner and became only the third Colchester Harrier female to break 20 minutes at the Castle in a personal best time of 19m 52s.

Angus Holford won the Clacton Promenade Park run in a new age group record of 16m 57s. Paul Rodgers was runner up in 17m 44s with Craig Mitchell 5th and Charlie Holohan 6th. Andrea James was the first lady in 21m 30s.

Ziggy Lampton was first home at Mersea Cudmore Grove clocking 18m 26s, with Chris Sellens pushing a buggy and baby runner up in 19m 25s. At the Maldon Promenade run Richard Heath was runner up in 19m 01s, with Simon Ford 4th in 19m 42s. Jerry Walder travelled to Germany and was 3rd in a local Park run in 19m 03s.