RECORD numbers turned out for the two five-kilometre Harwich Parkruns over the New Year period.

The additional New Year’s Day event saw 21 Harwich Runners among the 74 participants toeing the starting line in Cliff Park.

And it was the local club that dominated the front of the race, taking the first three finishing positions.

Robert Reason showed no signs of a festive hangover.

He finished well clear of the field in a new course record of 17 minutes and 13 seconds – a seven-second improvement on the previous record which he set back in September.

Sam Gooding Matthews (18m 28s) was second home, with Mark Rutter (19m 27s) third.

Junior member Archie Barrington put in another good performance to finish fifth in 20m 24s – only two seconds off his PB.

Nicola Andrew (27m 54s) was the first of the Harwich Runners’ women to return to the bandstand.

She was fourth female of 30 taking part, just 17s ahead of Ann Piercy, in fifth.

Three club members set new PBs.

They were Peter Clarke (12th in 23m), James Mann (33rd in 28m 59s) and Louise Papworth (15th female in 32m 37s).

The following day saw a much-changed field, as well as a different course, consisting of a shorter stretch along the seafront and two laps of Cliff Park.

The event was again won by a Harwich Runner, with Graeme Knott leading home a record-breaking field of 78 athletes.

His time of 18m 44s was more than two minutes slower than Knott would normally expect to run the five-kilometre distance, showing the difficulty of the course, made worse by the 40mph bracing winds.

The second club member of the 22 taking part to cross the line was Phil Sanderson, sixth in 23m 4s, followed by Dennis Warner, completing his third Parkrun in two days, 50s behind in eighth.

Elspeth Knott (third female of 43 in 25m 8s), competing in the 65-69 years age group, again belied her years by bringing home the first woman’s black and white vest.

She was trailed by Sally Gillam – one of the few runners to achieve a PB in the testing conditions – who was fourth female in 26m 11s.

Conditions were equally tough at the Ipswich Parkrun, in Christchurch Park, where Mark Lloyd bagged a podium spot by finishing an impressive third out of 206 competitors in 19m 33s.

Not to be outdone, partner Carrie Hook was just as impressive.

She was fourth female of 84 overall and quickest in her age group (45-49 years) by more than two minutes, in 25m 27s.

Between Christmas and New Year, Harwich Runners were successfully represented at the Ilford ten-mile cross country race.

There was a convincing age category win for Elspeth Knott (FV65), who completed the distance in 1h 33m 5s.

Roly Knott also emerged victorious in his age group (MV65) in a time of 1h 39m 19s. Returning runner Sally Gillam took second in the FV50 group, with Julian Cordwell taking fifth in the MV60 category.

Newcomer Charlie McCarthy was the first black and white vest across the line, placing a good 62nd in the field of 129 runners, with Matt Doran finishing the year strongly, just a few places further back.