CYCLISTS will be hoping to continue their dominance of one of Colchester’s oldest Christmas sporting events on Boxing Day.

Runners and riders will battle it out for the annual Markham Cup, at Friday Woods.

There will be plenty of Colchester and Tendring Athletic Club and Colchester Harriers athletes in action, along with Colchester Rovers riders and guest competitors.

CATs coach John Hyland said: “The cyclists have won the event for the past 16 years and with their confidence and fitness sky-high, the task for the runners is tough.”

The runners last tasted victory in the event back in 2000, when Robert Malseed came home in first place.

Cyclist Ivan Burch has won the race an impressive seven times while runners Grace Harvey nee Greenhalgh and Daniella Tatum have both won the ladies two-lap race four times each.

Although there is keen competition for individual and team honours, the vast majority of those taking part do so more for a festive occasion and to test themselves against the elements.

Finishing, for most, is a victory in itself and an added Christmas bonus.

The Markham Cup was first contested in 1930 and started at the Britannia pub, in Berechurch Road.

It really got off the ground after the Second World War, starting at the old - and now demolished - Old Bucks Horn pub and hotel, in Greenstead.

In the early 1950s, the event was held at Abbey Fields, near the now demolished Military Hospital before becoming established at its present venue at Friday Woods, in 1959.

Since then, scores of local runners and cyclists have participated in fierce but friendly rivalry for the cup, which was first presented in 1947.

The main race begins at 11am and will be run and ridden around three laps, for a total of 4.5 miles.

The Ladies compete over two laps for a total of three miles while the under-15s - who must be a minimum of 14 years – do one lap. over 1.5 miles.

At 10.20am there is a race for the ten-to-13-year-olds, over a distance of just under one mile.

Hyland and Neil Pears, who have been involved in the event for many years, have been around the the course and recommend that spikes or studs be worn as underfoot could be very muddy.

All guest competitors compete at their own risk.