EIGHT Great Bentley Running Club members took part in this year’s Essex Championship half-marathon race, hosted by Springfield Striders.

Club coach Darren Horner led the way in one hour, 35 minutes and 20 seconds.

Steph Horner, returning from a long-term injury, was next home in a season-best time of 1h 45m 10s.

Paul Hollidge put in a very strong performance to finish in 1h 51m 2s, just holding off Claire Groves, who ran a new personal best (PB) of 1h 52m 43s.

Caroline Searle put in a very strong sprint finish to also gain a PB in 1h 53m 55s.

Both Groves and Searle earned themselves bronze club standard awards.

Other Bentley runners in action were Barbara Law, Luke Groves and Debs Cubberley.

The club were also represented at the picturesque Dedham 10k race.

A time of 44m 27s saw Michael Belton place 40th out of 268 entrants and first for Bentley.

Anthea Colsell, steadily working her way to a PB for the 10k distance, finished in 53m 57s, while others taking part were Frank Gardiner, Alison Clarke, Peter Reeve, Sandra James, Louise Reeve, Rita Page and Michael Sommerlad.

Elsewhere, John Bush flew the Bentley flag at the Great North Run.

He took 2h 39m 10s to complete the course, which starts in Newcastle and finishes in South Shields.

Competing elsewhere in triathlons and duathlons were Joe Alexander, Tricia Stacey, Martin Owen and junior Megan Hughes.

Alexander took on the standard tri distance in Clacton.

He finished in a total time of 2h 2m 18s, placing him third in his age category.

Stacey completed her sprint tri distance in Great Dunmow, in a total of 1h 28m 31s.

Owen (1hr 28m 6s) travelled to St Albans for a duathlon, which comprises of a 5km run, a 20km bike ride and then another a 2.5km run.

Hughes, meanwhile, participated in her first duathlon, the Tri-Star off-road event.

Rodger Alexander and Paul Carlisle chose to take part in the Brecon Beacons 30-mile ultra trail challenge. Both completed the course safely, coming home in second and third positions overall.