THE cross-country season began in earnest as the Essex League got under way on a brutal course at One Tree Hill.
It was hardly an easing into the winter season for the athletes, with the energy-sapping course proving as tough as ever despite being off the calendar for a number of years.
As ever there were some new faces introducing themselves onto the county stage in the younger age groups, but it was an old face that produced the performance of the day.
Thurrock Harriers’ Gemma Holloway stepped up from the under-20 age group to race against the senior women over the longer distance and she made the transition seamlessly, winning by nearly 20 seconds.
Behind her were a clutch of experienced cross-country runners including Benfleet’s Dominique Ballard who ran well for sixth and Billericay Striders’ Emma Prideaux was ninth.
The senior women’s race was run alongside the under-17 men’s race – Holloway finished 17th overall including the boys, most of whom are only two years younger than the Thurrock talent – where Basildon AC’s team took the team honours.
Max Jones showed he is returning to his best form with a superb fourth-placed finish to lead the Basildon team home, one place ahead of team-mate George Elliott who paid for going with a tough early pace.
Max Jones and George Elliott in the under-17 men's race
Christian Gray ran solidly for ninth place while Brandon Thorpe rounded off the team with a fine run in 11th.
Southend’s Adam Jordan came through the field well to finish in sixth spot and Thurrock Harriers’ Sam Smith was eighth.
In the under-17/20 women’s race, Georgia Tuckfield (Chelmsford AC) looked in great early season from as she led from start to finish ahead of team-mate Ellie Baker who was the first under-17 to finish.
Georgia Tuckfield won the under-17/20 women's race
Canvey’s Jodie Judd also ran impressively in her first Essex League race as an under-17 athlete as she finished third. With Judd also being a Chelmsford athlete, it was no surprise they won the team standings, with Katie Solis their final scorer in seventh spot.
Isobel Ives appears to have carried her late season form on the track over to the country as she finished in an encouraging sixth spot, three places ahead of her Basildon team-mate Emily Bullis.
Victoria Hiscock (Benfleet RC) finished in between them in eighth spot.
Hiscock’s younger club-mate Sinead Clark looked confident in the under-15 women’s race, setting a strong early pace before eventually having to settle for third spot and that helped her team to third overall.
Joining Clark in the scoring team were Grace Goodall (22nd), Genevieve Pate (24th) and Yasmin Robinson (26th).
Sinead Clark leads the under-15 girls race
Charlotte Brooks (East Essex Tri) paced herself well to come through for sixth while Southend pair Joanna Rimmington (ninth) and Juliette Le Mare (10th) both showed well in their first race on the country as under-15s.
Basildon’s Mason Webb was mixing at the head of the field for most of the under-15 boys race before eventually drifting back to fourth, two spots ahead of Southend’s Toby Wright who led the Seasiders to a strong second place team finish.
Toby Wright (left) and Mason Webb (right) in the under-15 boys race
Wright was joined in the scoring Southend team by Sam Norris (15th), Tom Stuttle (16th) and Craig Wheeler (18th), while Benfleet’s Rushwan Lewis ran well for eighth position.
In the under-13 boys race, Harry Parker showed his potential by finishing third while Oliver Lill of Basildon AC was a new name to shine a place further back in fourth.
Parker was well supported by his Thurrock team-mates Ben Prior (11th), Finley Lowe (15th) and Mason Hambleton (23rd) as the Harriers finished as the second team.
Harry Parker was third in the under-13 boys race
That was a feat matched by Thurrock’s under-13 girls team who were led home by the impressive Hayley Instance in fourth.
Behind Instance, Hayley Dowsett-Ward (15th), Demi Briggs (17th) and Kierra Scott (18th) packed well to help Harriers to second.
In the senior men’s race, Southend’s Rhys Gillard was the first south Essex finisher in 10th spot. The race was won by Cambridge & Coleridge’s Sullivan Smith.
Hayley Instance ran well in the under-13 girls race
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