IT was a busy weekend for Harwich Runners, with members competing in races which ranged from one mile to 81 miles.

At the town’s 5k Parkrun, Madeline Lewis was the first lady finisher and sixth overall, in a time of 21 minutes and 32 seconds.

Mark Lloyd was the fastest club member, finishing second in 18m 11s.

Fourteen-year-old Archie Barrington continues to improve, setting another personal best (PB) for the event in 21m 13s and finishing fifth.

Other club members to run their fastest time since the event started were Dennis Warner, 22m 18s, Elspeth Knott, 23m 25s, Carrie Hook, 23m 49s, Andy Farthing, 25m 44s, Ann Piercy, 25m 51s, Angela Walton, 31m 27s, and Di Warner, 32m 4s.

The Stowmarket Golden Mile also took place on Saturday.

Two Harwich Runners took the rare opportunity to race over this short distance and both tasted success.

Rob Reason was the overall winner, completing the mile in 5m 6s.

Michael Knowles finished first in his age category (MU13), in a terrific time of 6m 37s, which placed him 36th out of the 210 competitors.

Every year since 1989, on the first Sunday in September, Harwich Runners have run the length of the Essex Way footpath – all 81 miles from Epping to Harwich.

The run is a relay race made up of ten stages of between five and 11 miles.

In the past, Harwich Runners have been in the top-three finishers on a number of occasions.

This year, due to injuries and the event clashing with other races, the club had to settle for three teams of mixed ability.

Despite this, there were a number of outstanding individual performances.

Reason won the eight-mile stage from Dedham to Bradfield and Graeme Knott was second on the longest leg, 11.2 miles from West Bergholt to Dedham.

Ben Hammond and Stephen Burbidge were joint-seventh on the ten-mile stage from Little Leighs to Cressing.

Other members who finished high up were Jason Meachen (14th), Bill Haining (12th), Dan Pearce (18th), Ian Cannons (17th), Dave Watkins (17th) and Mark Rutter (10th).

Robin Brookes, who had won a 20k race in the morning, turned out again to run the Bradfield to Ramsey stage, finishing in tenth place.

Running a stage for the first time were Lauren Franklin (52nd), Michelle Greenfield (51st) and Jeff Higgon (31st).

Special mention should go to Dennis Warner, who ran the first 7.5-mile stage from Epping to Chipping Ongar, starting at 8am and finishing 20th.

He then made his way to Great Tey to run the 5.7 miles to West Bergholt to cover for a team member who had a last-minute injury.

Starting at 2pm, he finished 25th.

He then finally acted as sweeper, running behind the last runner, on the final stage from Ramsey to Harwich at 6pm.

This was 5.5 miles, making a total of almost 19 miles.

The Langham 10k on Sunday attracted a bumper field of 514, with the winner, Richard Heath, from Colchester, finishing in 34m 15s.

There were four Harwich Runners at the race, with the first across the line being Mark Lloyd, in eighth place.

His time of 36m 22s was a new personal best by six seconds.

Tom Stafford is new to the club and performing well, coming 63rd in 42m 55s.

This also placed him second in his age category (MU18).

Claudine Tisbury won her age group (FV55) in a time of 43m 39s and it was good to see Matt Doran back in action, recording 45m 24s.