The distance runners of Colchester Harriers had some great results as the road season starts to ebb away and the winter chill of Cross countries begins.

Allen Smalls and Sean Ketterridge got the green vests off to a flyer with a joint win at the Saltmarsh 75 mile race clocking 11 hours and one minute as they finished well clear of the field.

The Mablethorpe Marathon was held in extreme winds on the Lincolnshire Coast but the green vests battled away to become team champions, Chris Manby stuck strongly to the task and deserved his top 10 placing in 3:12, with the team completed by Jamie Nelson 3:25 Craig Mitchell 3:28 and Dan Wilkinson who bravely completed his first marathon in 3:55. In the Half Marathon Becky Cooke was a fine runner up in the ladies race in 1:33, while Dan Marks although suffering a bad cold kept going to clock 1:38, David Wright took the over 50 veterans trophy. In the 5km event Rachel Richardson-Wright was first over 50 lady.

The Pleshey Essex Half Marathon championships saw a fine run by Artur Whiston to take the over 60 bronze medal, while Colin Ridley kept up his superb year with the gold award in the over 50 category clocking 1:18:13. Just behind in 1:18:30 was Mark Harrod who took over 40 silver, while Paul Rodgers ran a personal best 1:19:20, Angus Holford was 5th overall in a best ever time of 1:13:10. Richard Millward was another Harrier running faster then ever in 1:29:40, while Richard Boden was pleased with 1:28. Harriers leading lady was Steph Horner who took Essex silver in the over 45 category and continues her rise up the rankings in 1:39:20. Becky Bjotter ran a good time as she starts to push the distance.

The marathon machine Malcolm Statham completed two more off road events at the weekend taking his marathon total to 187 finishing the flower of Suffolk in 4:10 and the Great Barrow challenge in 3:16.

The Colchester Park run saw Harriers have the first 4 ladies home in Stacey Eyres 20:05, Elsie Billson 20:22, second claim Vicky Presland 20:23 and Andrea James, while for the men it was Danny Millward the leading Harrier in 6th spot in 17:58, just behind was Cameron Humphries 18:10 and Max Caulfield 18:11.