SOUTHEND-ON-SEA runners were out in force at the National Cross Country Championships.

More than 2,000 runners from up and down the country flocked to Nottingham to compete in the challenging course.

Southend had ten men and women travel to Wollaton Park, with five taking part in the senior men’s race which saw 1,762 runners cross the finishing line.

Oliver Kyriakides finished in 47:11 to take 358th place.

Lee Taylor and Rhys Gillard finished four seconds apart - in 47:50 and 47:54 - to claim 398th and 406th respectively.

A 706th place finish was assured when Christian Holmes crossed the line in 51:32, while Alec Kyriakides was in 816th position after completing the course in 52:51.

Southend had one representative in the women’s under-17 race, and Joanna Rimmington excelled as she registered a time of 21:55 to come 82nd out of a field of 252 competitors.

In the senior women’s event, Kerry Holland, like Rimmington, finished 82nd after notching a time of 32:58.

Sarah Pennington and Natasha Lagden came 247th and 413th respectively, with times of 37:26 and 40:40.

Debbielyn Hallam crossed the line after 45:40 to claim 598th out of 788 runners to finish the event.

Southend runners did not only compete in Nottingham, as other members travelled to Roding Valley, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Sheffield.

Lindsey Colman shone at Roding Valley’s annual half marathon.

Colman dominated the women’s race to finish in her fastest ever time of 1:29:04, which was over a minute faster than the next runner.

The impressive outing has resulted in Colman, who is preparing for the upcoming London Marathon, moving up to fifth in the club’s all time women’s half marathon ranking list.

In the Brighton half marathon, Kasia Kostyrke-Allchorne finished just shy of her lifetime best.

With a time of 1:37:46, Kostyrke-Allchorne was just 45 seconds off her quickest performance.

Club coach Steve Hockett registered a time of 1:40:45 to claim his second fastest half marathon finish in Tunbridge Wells.

Meanwhile, Enya Davies-Collins travelled to the Sheffield indoor arena to compete in the National Indoor Championships.

The long trip to South Yorkshire was worthwhile, as Davies-Collins produced a 200m season’s best of 27.16.

Davies-Collins’ superb time was also good enough to register an indoor fastest.