COLCHESTER Harriers' Marie Shirley rewrote the Essex Marathon record books to become ladies senior and veteran county champion.

Despite struggling from severe back pain all week, she tore the field apart to clock three hours eight minutes and break the course record over the very tough Halstead course.

Shirley, who ran 3h 06m at the London Marathon last month, claimed a hat-trick of gold medals after Harriers' ladies won the team event.

She was joined in the Green Vests' winning team by Becky Cooke, who won individual silver after running her first marathon in a superb 3h 23m.

The incredible Steph Horner, who won bronze in 3h 25m and also claimed gold in the veteran over-45 age group, completed Harriers' winning ladies team.

Harriers' Allen Smalls retained his title in style after clocking 2h 43m.

Although he finished third the first two runners home had no Essex qualifications, so Smalls was crowned the king again.

In addition to winning the senior and veteran over 40 crowns, he was also part of the Harriers team that won silver.

There were also great runs from Ged McMillan (seventh, 2h 47m) and Sean Ketteridge (tenth, 2h 55m), despite never training on roads.

McMillan also took the individual bronze, in the over 40 category.

Harriers' Clive Thomas won the over-50 crown in 2h 59m following a top-15 placing, having trained to perfection for the race.

Malcolm Statham ran his 198th marathon and his tenth in Halstead in a fine 3h 26m.

Tristan Steed was the overall winner of the race in 2h 37m, just 24 hours after winning a 20-mile event, while James Wright ran a super 2h 48m for eighth place.

Harriers' Cameron Humphries ran a belter of a race at the Hardmoors 110-mile event, in the Yorkshire Dales.

He clocked 26h 36m over the gruelling course, which boosted 6,000 metres of ascent.

The latest Colchester Castle Park Run fell just short of a record field with 430 runners taking part, the third successive weekend the turnout has exceeded 400.

Harriers' Ramadam Osman won by the proverbial mile in 16m 39 seconds, with Andy Raynor fourth in 18m 31s.

Keith Marley (18m 46s, sixth) just beat his son Aaron Marley (18m 49s, seventh and Richard Boden just made the top ten in 19m 16s, while Elspeth Bisson won the ladies race in 20m 21s.

Colin Ridley finished third in his first park run after running 17m 44s at the Great Cornard event.

He was followed by Wayne Cook (17m 45s, fourth) and Drew Olley (18m 47s, seventh), while Sarah Ivory won the ladies race in 20m 23s.

Mark Harrod won the Mersea race in 17m 39s ahead of runner-up Paul Rodgers (17m 55s), Craig Mitchell (fourth) and Dan Wilkinson (seventh).