HARWICH Runners achieved a previously unmatched feat on the Parkrun circuit on Saturday.

Every one of their eight runners taking part finished in the top three for their age group, if not overall.

Leading the charge at the Ipswich event, in Chantry Park, was Mark Lloyd, placing second overall of the 255 participants in 18 minutes and 40 seconds.

The sprawling off-road course has been altered in recent weeks to include two additional short steep climbs that have seen most regulars add almost a minute on to their usual time for the route.

This just served to demonstrate that Harwich Runner Carrie Hook is in top form this season as she stormed round in a nine-second course-best time of 24m 2s.

She was the second woman home and 46th overall.

Elspeth Knott ensured the club had two ladies in the top five with a time of 24m 26s that saw her place 53rd overall and secure another V60 age group win for her collection.

Over at the Great Cornard event, in Sudbury, the club was to have another two runners in the top five out of 86 finishers.

New signing Roger Holmes is really proving himself to be one to watch, as he slashed 21 seconds from his previous outing to finish second overall and first V45, dipping under the 20-minute barrier for the first time in 19m 47s.

Club-mate and Cornard regular Richard Flutter turned in one of his fastest runs at the event in recent weeks, despite still nursing a lower leg injury, leading the field for the first lap before settling back to finish in 19m 58s to secure fourth spot overall and second V45.

Also in Suffolk, the club had three representatives among 233 runners at the Kesgrave Parkrun.

The first to emerge from the final woodland kilometre was Steve Kent, shaving a second off his previous best to finish 33rd overall and first V50 in 21m 55s.

There was another age group victory in the V55 category for Dennis Warner, in a massive 59-second course best of 22m 10s.

Wife Di Warner was delighted to manage her fastest Parkrun of the year in 33m 9s for third place in the V55 ladies’ group.