Essex Cross Country League at One Tree Hill, Langdon Hills, a very tough country park course saw some excellent results from junior, senior and veteran runners from Colchester Harriers.

The under 17 men were runners up on the day led by the ever reliable Danny Millward 3rd.  Millward was joined in the successful team by Thomas Palmer 13th, Victor Steinward 14th and Ziggy Lambton 22nd.

Milly Presland was very impressive, finishing runner up in the under 15 girls race, just two seconds behind the winner.  The fast improving Madeleine Claydon was 11th.

The senior ladies team of Denise Morley 13th, Rebecca Cooke 14th, Helen Taczynski 16th and Alexandra Hennessey 35th finished fourth overall.  The veteran ladies team of Morley, Taczybski and Hennessey were first with 63 point, just three points ahead of Southend on Sea AC.

Ramadam Osman swept the field aside to win the Senior men’s race by 11 seconds.  Osman led the team to fifth place overall, the scoring team were Osman 1st, Nathan Filer 20th, Oscar Dawson 35th, Allen Smalls 40th, Gavin Scanlon 60th and Robbie Smith 73rd.  Other Harriers to finish were Mikey Smith 78th, Alex Sales 79th, Pete West 87th, Simon Morgan 157th and Andy Taczynski 159th

Charlie Parmenter was 15th in the under 13 boys race while Alexandra Bell-Cobbald is one to watch, finishing in a fine 7th place in the under 13 girls race backed up by Daisy Rickwood 35th.

Other news

GB triathalete Mellissa Dowell took the 50-54 age group gold medal in the European Middle Distance Aquabike  Championships held in terrible conditions in Ibiza at the end of October.  Dowell was also third lady overall.

Wayne Cook was a fine 7th in the Stowmarket 7 mile road race, with Marie Shirley 3rd overall in the ladies race.

Malcolm Statham completed the Stebbing Remembrance Day 10 mile road race in 1h 13m.

Park run roundup
Jason Gunn celebrated his birthday by winning the Colchester Castle park run in 17m 47s in a field of 425 runners.  Other leading Harriers were James Wright 5th in 18m 09s, Fergus Crouch 6th in 18m 22s, Joe Boden 7th in a personal best time for the course of 18m 23s, Angus Holford 8th in 18m 25s, Jon Nears 9th in 18m 41s, Craig Mitchell 12th in 19m 09s, Dominic Nicjewski 13th in 19m 13s and Keith Marley 17th in 19m 31s.

At Maldon Promenade park run Heidi Steele was first lady to finish in 20m 50s with Paul Dobson 8th overall in 20m 12s.

Cudmore Grove, Mersea Island saw a first win for Ned Messer in a personal best time of 20m 05s.  Russ Goodridge was 4th in 20m 27s.  For the ladies Debbie Cattermole was first home in 22m 05s with Mel Moore 6th in 28m 17s.