The Southern Road Relays at Crystal palace are a very high class affair with most of the top runners from the region competing over the 6.5km course. Colchester Harriers for the first time, thanks to coach Richard Pickering, had teams in each of the three men’s categories and came up trumps in the over 50 competition.

With no medals ever won at this event by Harriers the over 50 men produced the goods finishing runners up to take the silver medals behind Aldershot Farnham and District with South London Harriers third.  Great runs came from all four of the team with anchor man Allen Smalls running a fine leg of 21m 05s to hold second spot as South London and other clubs pressed the green vests to the finish. Joining Smalls in the history making team were Paul Spowage 21m 10s, Colin Ridley 21m 00s and Pete West 22m 03s.

The over 40 men were a fine 11th, the team being Ged McMillan 20m 01s, Paul Preston 22m 19s, James Waterson 22m 15s and Paul Rodgers 20m 58s.  The senior men were hampered by an injury to talisman Adrian Mussett 21m 43s on the last leg but were still a respectable 47th with Ramadam Osman the fastest Harrier in 18m 06s, the rest of the team were Nathan Filer 19m 45s, Chris Sellens 20m 15s, Ed Mitchell 18m 50s and Gavin Scanlon 21m 56s.  T

The Ingatestone 5 mile road race is extremely hilly and was subject to heavy rain on the day but a handful of Harriers still came good, Sarah Stradling was 2nd lady in 31m 05s and first veteran and was helped to the second team prize thanks to Rebecca Cooke 34m 20s and Fran Norris 38m 05s, who also took the first lady over 55 trophy. For the men Charlies Holohan ran a good personal best of 31m 30s beating team mate David Wright 31m 41s.

The Burnham on Crouch park run saw a good run by Paul Rodgers who was runner up in 17m 51s, Chris Manby was 4th 19m 32s, with Charlie Holohan 6th 20m 12s, Alex Sales jogged it for 7th in 20m 16s and David Wright was 8th in a new over 60 Burnham record of 20m 50s. Fran Norris just missed the over 55 record by a few seconds in 22m 58s.

The Mersea Island park run at Cudmore Grove saw a personal best by Chris Smith who was 3rd in 19m 26s.

Heidi Steele won the Maldon park run in 20m 13s, and at the Colchester Castle park run Ian Haw was 4th in 18m 14s followed by Thomas Palmer 5th in 18m 28s, Victor Steinward 6th in 18m 32s, Cameron Humphries 7th in 18m 42s and Jon Nears 8th in 18m 43s.