EIGHT Harwich Runners took part in various Parkrun events.

The biggest contingent were at the Colchester race, in the grounds of Castle Park.

Five Harwich Runners were among the 331 finishers, with V70 Amos Seddon continuing to defy the years by placing 84th overall and taking 59 seconds off his previous course best, finishing in 23 minutes and 42 seconds.

Also running their fastest-ever time for the course was Michelle Greenfield.

In her first outing at the event this year, she clocked a 31-second best, finishing third V35 in 25m 47s.

Only six days previously, Francis Mills and Ann Piercy were tackling the London Marathon.

They returned to short-distance racing with aplomb, finishing in 22m 41s and 27m 5s apiece, with Piercy once again topping the V60 women’s category.

Rounding out the team, Kieran Callaghan once again ducked under the 24-minute barrier to place 94th in 23m 59s.

Over at the Ipswich event in the grounds of Chantry Park, Ben Hammond enjoyed his first solo outing, having previously run as a pacemaker for his son.

Despite limited training in recent months, he placed a fine 16th overall out of 309 finishers in 19m 33s.

Vicky McCrea once again took part in the Hanley event in Stoke-on-Trent.

Using the event as a warm-up for the Great Birmingham 10k the following day, she was pleased to clock her fastest time for the course this year, winning the 18-19 age group and placing 11th woman out of 81 in 24m 41s.

The honour of highest-placing Harwich Runner at a Parkrun once again went to Richard Flutter.

On a heavy cycling regime after having to withdraw from last week’s London Marathon due to injury, Flutter struggled round the Great Cornard event in 19m 52s to place fourth overall out of 106 runners and once again top the V45 age group.

Ian Cannons is a prolific racer who managed to fit in two 10km races over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Firstly, on Saturday, he travelled to Peckham and was 31st of the 96 who ran in the male race in a time of 44m 23s.

He then tackled the Breckland 10km run on Monday – his fourth race in this distance this year – recording his fastest time so far of 43m 35s, placing 43rd overall.

In a field of 284 runners, Elspeth Knott finished 98th overall in a time of 48m 20s.

This placed her second in her age group (FV60).

Vicky McCrea also had a busy weekend of running, completing three races in three days.

She started on Friday with the Mow Cop Killer Mile race, which involves an ascent of 560 feet, and completed it in 12m 22s.

Sandwiching her Saturday Parkrun was the Great Birmingham 10km race on Sunday.

In a debut outing for her over this distance, she finished in 55m 4s.