Great day for Harriers and Rowe is Champion

Colchester Harriers continued their great run of team medals at the Essex XC Championships with team silvers and bronzes and an individual gold for under 20 star athlete  Jordan Rowe to put the icing on the cake.

Jordan Rowe is coming back to his best, the National XC runner-up from 2 years ago, stormed to victory in the under 20 race with a supreme show of running from the front, with another Colchester and Tendring athlete Ramadan Osman a fine 3rd for a double celebration for the Colchester clubs.

The ladies, although under strength due to injuries and illness, still pulled a set of team bronzes out of the hat, thanks to a superb run by Veteran Sarah Stradling who ran brilliantly over the 8km muddy and hilly course to finish 5th overall in a high class field. Laura Shewbridge ran the race of the day in 9th place her highest ever Championship finish and beat many fine lady athletes for the first time, the experienced Denise Morley 20th and super veteran Debbie Cattermole 25th completed the team, with fine back up from Becky Cooke 30th, Lyn Higgs 34th, and Ella Neale 39th, 104 ladies finished.

Team results (first six) 1.Basildon AC 35, 2. Chelmsford AC 46, 3 Colchester Harriers 59, 4. Southend AC 95, 5 Havering Mayesbrook 100, 6. Eton Manor AC 118.

The Harriers men were fired up for battle with favourites Woodford Green but these were dashed when star man  Adrian Mussett had to drop out with a reoccurring groin injury on the first lap of the 8 mile tough course. But Harriers stuck to their guns and craggy Chris Sellens ran a scorcher to come home 5th, with the ever improving Carwyn Jones 9th both having their best ever finish positions. In 4th place overall was 2nd claim Harrier Angus Holford running for Woodford Green, this gave coach Pete West 3 runners in the top 10 a superb achievement.

Next in for Harriers was battling army man Daz Farrugia who ran a gritty race for 17th position, with Richard Heath 28th, Mark Harrod 40th, and Colin Ridley 41st completing the team which took a fine set of Silver team medals behind the host club.

The Harriers (B) team took a top 10 place finishing 9th overall , beating a host of ( A) teams from over the County . The six Harriers who made up the (B) team were Paul Rodgers 56TH, Jon Nears 62nd, Martyn Clarke 80th, Pete West 82nd, Keith Marley 83rd,   and Russell Goodridge 95th.

Other Harriers men to finish were David Wright 97, James Waterson 101, Ton Varuggi 118, Simon Morgan 136, and Pat Marsh 155. 184 Finished.

Top 6 teams 1. Woodford Green 51, 2. Colchester Harriers 139, 3. Orion Harriers 175, 4. Springfield Striders 189, 5. Woodford Green (B) 228, 6. Ilford AC 231, also 9th Colchester Harriers (B) 458.

Pictures from Mark Harrod