Colchester Harriers’ promising young athlete Lizzie Wellsted made a big impact on the national stage with an excellent performance in the first fixture of this year’s British Athletics Cross Challenge  series, held at Llandaff Fields, Cardiff.  Up against the best Under 20 women in the UK, the seventeen year old ran a perfectly judged race to come through the field and then hold off a strong challenge from Blackheath athlete Eliza Nicholson to claim a superb second place behind winner Innes Fitzgerald.  Lizzie’s thoughts now turn to the second race in the series at Sefton Park, Liverpool on 25 November.

In road running Kate Creak ran a superbly paced 43:26 to come home third female at the Stowmarket Scenic 7, with Simon Ford and Ian Weir clocking 44:28 and 44:32 respectively, whilst the Stebbing Remembrance Day 10 saw Dan Meecham cross the line in 1:07:21, Paul Weightman run a Personal Best 1:10:41 and Dianne Wooller continue her fine run of form to win the F70 category in 1:25:28.

On the trails Paul Dellar came home first in The Hobble, the longest running narrative trail race in Essex, completing the 17 mile course in 2:25:36 with Melissa Dowell completing the 10 mile event in 1:47:58.

In parkrun action Cameron Humphries ran 18:09 to finish first at Colchester’s Castle Park, John Scaife posted 17:46 at Felixstowe, Dan Widdowson 18:08 at Chalkwell Beach whilst Heidi Hogan-Steele continued her comeback to running after the birth of her daughter with a fine 19:59 on the promenade at Harwich.