THE marathon season saw borough runners out in force at three venues – with varying degrees of success.

Top performance belongs to 43-year-old Scott Rice from Grays.

High mileage runner Rice runs through London on his journey to and from work in the West End each day.

In Sunday’s London Marathon he ran his usual astute race to finish 509th in 2h 48m 49s. His time management is an example to all aspiring runners. He has his banking career, a wife and three sons and still finds time to train and support West Ham.

Thurrock’s London ‘Ever Present’ 75-year-old Pat Dobbs maintained his status by competing the circuit for the 34th time in 4h 47m 19s.

Although two hours fifteen minutes slower than his PB of 30 years ago, Dobbs was pleased to be able to record a time more than half the field would have been delighted with. Only 14 Ever Presents remain. And Dobbs calculates that he and the others have run 897 miles round the course.

Of the other Club members John Green recorded 3h 10m 29s. Jason Syrett had a pleasing run in 3h19m. The experienced Richard Amery returned 3h 23m 56s. Paul Green’s run fell apart in the secopnd part of the race but he held on to finish in 3h 26m 56s. Two prospective club members, Grays-based Chris Wayman finished in 3h 19m 8s and the Chadwell tri-athlete Mark Tobin recorded 3h 35m 54s.

A WEEK earlier in the Manchester Marathon Antony Tobin recorded an excellent debut time of 3h04m56s. Toby Draper also made his debut in the Brighton Marathon on the same day recording 3h 23m. Draper, like Tobin should improve in all distances in the coming months, according to Harriers stalwart David Staines.

This week the Harriers’ seniors embark on the track and field league season with a match in the Southern Athletics League at Braintree.