Colchester Harriers and Ipswich JAFFA lifted the main open team titles at the ever-popular Ipswich JAFFA Ekiden Relays, held over six stages totalling the marathon distance 26.2 miles (42.2K) at Woodbridge School on Sunday.
JAFFA retained their ladies' open crown, while the dominant Colchester Harriers repeated their triple feat of last year, winning the men's open, male over-40 and male over-50 sections.
After an initial leg of 7.2K, there were three 5K and two 10K legs, run alternately, to make up the marathon distance around a 2.5K loop.
For the victorious JAFFA female team, Katie Austin ran the first leg (28:57), and she was backed up by international marathon star Helen Davies (36:02) and Laura Thomas (37:37) over 10K, and the trio of George Humphries (20:09), Rachel Hamblyn (21:33) and Jasmine Bilner (21:43) over 5K.
They registered a winning time of 2:46:04, a little adrift of the course record of 2:43:02 set by West Suffolk in 2016.
Meanwhile, the Harriers set two new course records on their way to a men's whitewash.
The senior men swept to victory for the third consecutive year in a time of 2:-24:45, thanks to the efforts of Ramadan Osman, Ermeas Afewerki, Dean Williamson, Jason Gunn, Nath Filer, and Mark McKeown.
Second spot went to Framlingham Flyers, via good runs from Andrew Rooke (7.2K), 10K displays by Jim Last and Lee Barber, and 5K showing from Jason Marter, Ethan Turner and Mark Hayden.
Colchester Harriers' over-40 veteran squad set a new course record of 2:29:51 in their category. This sextet comprised Doug McGilvray, Kevin Higgens, Adrian Mussett, Jon Nears, Paul Rodgers, and Ged McMillan.
The impressive Mussett clocked the fastest 10K of the day, with his 32:40.
In the other distances, Andrew Rooke, in the colours of Framlingham Flyers, ran 94 seconds quicker than anyone else over the opening 7.2K leg, with a time of 22:32.
Laura Shewbridge, of Hadleigh Hares, ran the quickest female time on the first leg with 26:53, while Helen Davies' swift 36:02 was easily the fastest over the 10K.
Teenager Charlie Wakefield, running for the Saint Edmund Pacers mixed team, clocked the fastest 5K of the day in 16:39. A busy Davies ran a modest 18:00 (by her standards) representing a JAFFA mixed team, for the quickest female leg.
The Colchester club's winning over-50s team also set a new course standard with a combined 2:40:52. Paul Dellar, Jay Waite, Allen Smalls, Pete West, Clive Thomas, and Paul Mingay made up their team.
The Harriers' senior ladies were runners-up to JAFFA, posting 2:48:23 through the efforts of Heidi Steele, Stacey Eyres, Sarah Stradling, Milly Presland, Aiko Hennington, and Ella Neale.
JAFFA won the female veteran category, Bungay Black Dog lifted the female super veterans' top award and Waveney Valley were the first mixed team. Saint Edmund Pacers won the over-70s title, with 'Kruisers Pushing Limits' first in the social category.
Results
Results from Ipswich JAFFA Ekiden Relays:
Individuals:
7.2K leg, top five men: 1 A Rooke (Fram/Flyers) 22:32; 2 R Osman (Col/Harr) 24:06; 3 J Calvert (JAFFA) 24:55; 4 N Adams (NNBR) 24:59; 5 S Burdett (Stowmarket) 25:14. Top five ladies: 1 L Shewbridge (Hadleigh) 26:53; 2 H Steele (Col/Harr) 27:33; 3 L Howe (Beccles & Bungay) 28:49; 4 K Austin (JAFFA) 28:57; G Porch (Stowmarket) 30:38.
5K, top 10 men: 1 C Wakefield (Pacers) 16:39; 2 E Afewerki (Col/Harr) 16:50; 3 M McKeown (Col/Harr) 17:11; 4 J Gunn (Col/Harr) 17:12; 5 P Wain (JAFFA) 17:23; 6 J Marter (Fram/Flyers) 17:30; 7 S Cooper (Harwich) 17:35; 8 A Wade (JAFFA) 17:35; 9 J Glanfield (Felixstowe) 17:37; 10 C Sellens (Col/Harr) 17:37. Top five ladies; 1 H Davies (JAFFA) 18:00; 2 S Lines (Waveney Valley) 18:40; 3 K Everett (Fram/Flyers) 18:56; 4 C Neale (NNBR) 19:14; 5 A Hales (Bures) 19:17.
10K, top 10 men: 1 A Mussett (Col/Harr) 32:43; 2 M Jeffries (Waveney Valley) 33:02; 3 D Williamson (Col/Harr) 34:15; 4 R Davidson (Bure Valley) 35:01; 5 N Filer (Col/Harr) 35:10; 6 A Wade (JAFFA) 35:18; 7 D Bain (Waveney Valley) 35:21; 8 M Pyatt (Dereham) 35:29; 9 T Gavin (Felixstowe) 35:47; 10 K Tilley (JAFFA) 35:51. Top five ladies: 1 H Davies (JAFFA) 36:02; 2 L Thomas (JAFFA) 37:37; 3 A Henington (Col/Harr) 38:55; 5 J Andrews (Bungay BD) 38:55.
Top three men's open teams: 1 Col/Harr 2:24:45; 2 Fram/Flyers 2:28:32; 3 JAFFA 2:29:34. Top three women's open teams: 1 JAFFA 2:46:04; 2 Col/Harr 2:48:23; 3 Hadleigh 3:01:35.
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