HARLOW Running Club competed in the first round of the East Herts and West Essex Cross Country League on Sunday at a muddy 5 mile course at Ware. The league consists of teams from Harlow RC, Bishop’s Stortford RC, Hoddesdon Tri, Saffron Walden Striders and Ware Joggers with the final league winners going on to compete in a national final. Harlow ladies team finished 3rd, the men 4th and overall Harlow were 3rd.

This first round was won by Ware, followed by Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow, Hoddesdon and Saffron Walden. First HRC member to finish was Jared Bethell in 4th place out of 128 finishers in an excellent 31min 39sec. He was followed home by Rob Lowe 16th in 33min 40sec, Peter Brewin 23rd in 35min 34sec and Rick Ricketts 30th in 35min 23sec. John Tennant finished in 55th place and 1st Vet 60 in 38min 34sec and Alan Cootes 84th and 3rd Vet 60 in 42min 17sec. First Harlow lady was Julia Gardiner in 3rd place out of 79 finishers and 2nd Vet 35 in a superb 38min 18sec. She was followed by Paula Reynolds 8th in 39min 17sec, Dionne Jones 10th and 2nd Vet 45 in 41min 20sec and Sharon Wright 11th in 41min 29sec.

Full List of HRC members:
Men
4th Jared Bethell 31.39
16th Rob Lowe 33.40
23rd Pete Brewin 34.34
30th Rick Ricketts 35.23
31st Alex Smith 35.31
32nd Alan Broughton 35.31
33rd Jamie Jephcott 35.37
55th John Tennant 38.34 1st V60
58th Andy Terrell 39.07
62nd Adrian Fell 39.43
66th John Bull 40.17
72nd Mark Hayward 40.42
79th Brendon Maclean 41.18
80th Len Saterlay 41.45
81st Andy Ramage 41.46
82nd Jon Steadman 41.52
84th Alan Cootes 42.17 3rd V60
90th Matt Jones 42.52
100th Justin Patten 44.51
101th Robin Lozeau 45.15
105th Richard Smith 46.23
115th Ron Newton 50.34
118th Terry Pike 52.23
126th Alan Wellbelove 59.10
Ladies
3rd Julia Gardiner 38.18 2nd V35
8th Paula Reynolds 39.17
10th Dionne Jones 41.20 2nd V45
11th Sharon Wright 41.29
24th Sandi Rust 43.46
35th Janice Page 45.37
45th Katherine Fennelly47.39
50th Debbie Barry 49.06
51st Karen Moir 49.12
54th Michelle Aitken 50.09
55th Jane Evans 50.11
60th Debbie Smith 51.31
61st Alison Bull 51.46
63rd Holly Nairn 52.49
66th Louise Cootes 53.31
67th Susan Maloney 53.33
74th Paulene Galoppi 60.53

Meanwhile at the Harlow Parkrun 5K run on the previous day Jamie Jephcott finished in 4th place out of 98 finishers and 1st Vet 45 in an impressive 20min 01sec. He was followed home by Paul Dixon 15th in 24min 22sec, Spensor Brooks 19th in 25min 10sec, Jim Bates 28th and 1st Vet 70 in 26min 13sec, Jane Evans 37th in 28min 01sec, Terry Pike 46th in 29min 11sec and Alan Wellbelove 57th in 30min 25sec.

At the Bognor Regis Parkrun 5K Jason Haigh finished in 4th place out of 117 finishers in a superb 20min 30sec.

In another double header weekend, Andy Kinney finished the Shakespeare Half Marathon at Stratford-Upon-Avon in 229th place in 2hrs 09min 27sec and the next day finished the very hilly multi-terrain Path’n’Downs Half Marathon at Maidstone in Kent in 124th place out of 134 finishers in 2hrs 20min 55sec.