HARWICH Runners were well-represented by six experienced triathletes at the popular Wattisham Sprint Triathlon.

This was despite being without two of last year’s age group winners due to injury.

The event is held on the Wattisham airfield and consists of a 300-metre pool swim, a 20km bike route up and down the runways and a 5km run.

The wet conditions proved no hindrance to Carla Holroyd, who stormed home to a 1h 15m 32s first place in the ladies’ 55-59 age category.

Justin Burls and John Francis were battling against each other in the 50-54 age category and both put in steady performances, with Burls getting third place in a time of 1h 1m 35s, followed by Francis in 1h 3m 7s in sixth place.

Steve Tatum, in the 45-49 age category, had a good swim, bike ride and run to finish in eighth place in a time of 1h 8m 52s.

Jeff Higgon and Peter Fraser-Hopewell were competing in the 60-64 age category.

Fraser-Hopewell made no mistakes and posted a time of 1h 18m to finish second in the age group.

Higgon unfortunately missed a turn on the bike circuit, resulting in an extra loop of 8.85km, costing about 17 minutes of time, and with a tired run eventually finished fifth in 1h 26m 2s.

Harwich were well represented at the Norfolk 100km race, starting in King’s Lynn and following Peddars Way to the coast and then on to Cromer.

Andre Besant finished sixth overall in a time of 12h 40s in his first race over this distance.

Paul Kerrison was 21st in 15h 40m.

Kerrison was also one of only three people to complete the grand slam this year – the Kings Forest 50k (about 32 miles), the Peddars Way Ultra (approximately 49 miles) and the Norfolk 100k (approximately 62 miles). An outstanding achievement.

At the second race in the Maldon 5km series, Rob Reason put in an excellent showing to finish second, just 12 seconds behind the winner, in a time of 16m 43s.

Richard Flutter placed 32nd in 20m 49s. New to the club, Karen Martin tackled her second half-marathon in Harwich colours.

She followed up her Colchester time with a very similar one at Southend, of 2h 3m 53s.

Further afield, two members joined 5,527 runners in the Liverpool Rock and Roll half-marathon.

Johnny Zeeuw completed the distance in 1h 41m 40s and Sharan Rider in 1h 49m 3s.

Taking on an even bigger challenge, Harwich Runners’ Aaron Rudkin and Francis Mills formed half of a four-man team taking on the Endure 24 event.

Based at Aldermaston, near Reading, this involved trying to complete as great a distance as possible within 24 hours.

Their team completed 130 miles in total, with both Rudkin and Mills contributing 35 miles each.

Long-distance specialist James Mann was back after an eight-month absence and entered the event as a solo runner, completing an impressive 65 miles in the time.