The Harriers competed in numerous events during the week starting indoors at Lee Valley where a handful of Harriers competed in an open meeting on Wednesday. Young Thomas Palmer won his 800m race in 2m 00.12. In the next 800m race Danny Millward was also a winner in 2m 09.93s with Tom Cresswell runner up 2m 20.09s and Paul Preston 3rd in 2m 23.71s. In the 1,500m races Ermeas Aferwerki clocked 4m 12.85s in his race. Danny Millward was runner up in his race in 4m 20.47s. Tom Cresswell set a personal best in 4m 42.79s and Paul Preston also set a new indoor best of 4m 52.05s.

At the National Cross Country Championships at Harewood, Leeds on Saturday, Millie Presland competed in the 4k under 15 girls race finishing well up the field of more than 360 runners in an excellent 71st place in 16m 41s.

At the Tarpley 10 mile race in Suffolk, Paul Preston was the first Harrier home in 8th place in 62m 14s followed by Wayne Cook 9th in 62m 19s. Andrew Conway clocked 66m 11s and Richard Millward 71m 54s. Keiran Callaghan also set a new personal best in 82m 44s. Melissa Dowell won the over 50 category in a time of 75m 16s. Jerry Walder was really pleased with his time of 2h 21m 34s in the Tarpley 20 mile race.

Helen Taczynski continued her superb form on road, cross country and track. This time Helen ran an indoor personal best of  5m 05.20s in the 1500m at the English Masters Indoor Challenge at Lee Valley then followed it up with yet another high quality performance clocking 11m 01.53 in the 3,000m race.

The Serpentine Friday 5km is a fast affair and veteran Paul Rodgers set a best of 17m 10s while Nathan Filer ran an even more impressive 16m 37s. New signing Mark McKeown ran 16m 52s showing what a talent he will be for the Harriers in the forthcoming road season.

Colchester Castle park run saw 437 runners take on the normal course in good conditions on Saturday morning. Fergus Crouch won by a distance in 18m 07s, Andy Raynor was 4th, Sean Duffett 8th and David Wright 13th. For the ladies it was Ella Jeffries first in 21m 21s, Jordi Moat second in 21m 55s, Ellie Mayne third in 22m 02s Alexandra Hennessy fourth in 22m 45s and Jenny Richardson seventh in 23m 34s. At the Chelmsford Park run Richard Flutter was a fine eighth out of 768 finishers in a quick time of 18m 42s.

The brand new Colchester Park run at Highwoods starts this Saturday at 9.00am from the Chanterelle car park. This off road and cross country course will give a second option to local Park runners with the Castle event continuing as normal.