Essex XC Champs
Essex Senior Cross Country Championships Claybury Grove, Woodford
Mixed Fortunes as men take silver team medals
The Essex Senior Cross Country Championships saw mixed fortunes for the Harriers who finally finished on a high with the men taking team silvers over the tough and muddy 7.5 mile Claybury course.
The ladies were dogged by bad luck with numerous runners dropping out late on due to illness and injuries. The 4 ladies who did make it to the line were then dealt another blow when leading lady Laura Shewbridge, who was in 10th place at the time, had to drop out after her contact lens came adrift on the last lap leaving her unable to continue. Rebecca Cooke 19, Ffion Harris 21 and Ellie Mayne 24, all ran well for the green vests.
Ramadam Osman ran with a strapped knee in the under 20 Championship and still managed a fine 5th place, while Hannah Watson impressed with a 6th position in the under 17 ladies event. Jake Young 8th and Oscar Dawson 14th were both well up in under 17 men’s race.
The senior men, although missing a host of stars due to various problems, courageously stuck to the task and bought home silver team medals pipping rivals Springfield Striders by 1pt for the second position, with runaway winners Woodford Green taking golds with second claim Harrier Angus Holford finishing in 10th spot for the home team. Jordan Rowe led the Harriers charge and although having to stop with sickness halfway through the race, rejoined the course to finish 14th a superb performance, with the incredible ultra man ( who ran a Marathon the next day ) Allen Smalls in 20th. The four other team scorers were Adam Sawyer 35, Daz Farugia 36, Paul Rodgers 37 and Mark Harrod 43, just missing out was Colin Ridley 44, then came Cameron Humphries 52, Gavin Scanlon 99, Craig Mitchell 103, Russell Goodridge 117, Chris Manby 120,Simon Morgan 146 and Michael Bates 155 who was a late arrival and missed the start.
Team result 1. Woodford 42, 2. Colchester Harriers 188, 3. Springfield Striders 189.
Best Harriers Park run results were as follows
Great Cornard 1. Wayne Cook 17:49 ( Pb) 9 Drew Olley 19:09
Mersea 2. Ziggy Lambton 18:32, 5 Simon Smith 19:24, 17. Michael Burrows 22:59 1st lady Debbie Cattermole 22:33
Colchester Castle 2. Jon Nears 17:52, 3. Fergus Crouch 18:32, 4. Andy Raynor 18:35, 6.Keith Marley 18:45, 9. Richard Boden 19:40, 10 Aaron Marley 19:48. 1st lady Milly Presland 22:04.
Sean Ketteridge won the Stanstead Stagger off road multi Terrain Marathon in 3:17, while Allen Smalls and Sean Ketteridge were the joint winners of the Hanningfield Reservoir marathon.