Harwich Runners place all three teams in Essex Way relay top 50

The 81-mile Essex Way relay took place on Sunday, beginning in warm conditions at Epping before finishing at Harwich High Lighthouse. Elspeth Knott, Sally Gillam and Sarah Roxby Clarke at the start in Epping (Image: Harwich Runners) The event featured 67 teams tackling 10 stages across an almost entirely off-road course, including country paths and ploughed fields. Harwich Runners' first team finished 14th overall in the open category after a series of impressive individual performances. Lil O'Dea finishing in Dedham (Image: Harwich Runners) Jodi Thomas completed her 5.7-mile leg in 18th place, while Will Roxby Clarke finished 38th on a 9.5-mile stage. Jamie Carter produced one of the day's strongest runs, completing the final 5.5-mile leg from Ramsey to Harwich in fourth overall. Jamie Carter finishing at Harwich Green (Image: Harwich Runners) Mark Rutter, Ellie Newman and Tracy Lawrie also made valuable contributions as the team secured its top-15 finish. The second team placed 26th, with Christopher Payne finishing 12th on his 9.4-mile stage. Nick Lawrie finishing in Ramsey (Image: Harwich Runners) Will Roxby Clarke, running for a second time, took 27th over 5.7 miles, while Lil O'Dea completed another leg, covering 11.2 miles in 29th. Steve Manley, Peter Fraser Hopewell and Phil Sanderson also recorded solid performances for the second squad. Jamie Carter, number 20, at the start in Ramsey (Image: Harwich Runners) The veterans' team finished 44th overall and seventh among the nine veteran entries, led by strong runs from Nick Lawrie, Tom Hancock and Nicola Challis. Lawrie was third over 5.7 miles, Hancock claimed eighth on the 11.2-mile stage and Challis finished 12th overall, while taking third among the women, on the anchor leg. Tom Hancock finishing at Dedham (Image: Harwich Runners) Owen Wynne Jones, Matt Doran and Clare Richardson completed the veterans' line-up with good efforts. Elsewhere, Ellen Sitton competed in Norwich, joining more than 8,000 runners for a 10-kilometre city race. Ellen Sitton after the race (Image: Harwich Runners) Sitton finished as the 50th woman among 3,063 female competitors in (44:21). Her performance improved her previous personal best for the distance by almost two minutes. Ellen Sitton in Norwich (Image: Harwich Runners) Nicola Challis and Steve Manley start the race from Ramsey (Image: Harwich Runners)