DESPITE the strong headwind, a number of Harwich Runners recorded new personal bests (PBs) at Saturday's Parkrun.

The first finisher was Matthew Friend, in a new best time of 18 minutes and ten seconds.

The first junior member to finish was Rem’a Eagle, fifth overall in 19m 59s.

Club members to set new PBs included Kim Pretty, 22m 12s, Aaron Manley, 26m 39s, and Francine Battram, 29m 36s.

There were also a number of those who have joined the club from the Couch to 5K programme who improved their best times and they were Tanya Cane, 28m 39s, Helen Ford, 30m 12s, Sam Sands, 31m 38s, Rupert Cutler, 40m 8s, and Katrina Olive, 40m 32s.

Saturday’s local Parkrun was the 205th running of the event and 151 people took part.

For first finisher, Matthew Friend, it was his 11th time at the weekly event and his second win.

Ann Piercy has completed 190 of the Harwich Parkruns and on Saturday she recorded her 200th Parkrun in 28m 58s.

She holds the record for running more of the local Parkruns than anyone else.

Other members of the club travelled away for their Saturday Parkrun. Victoria McCrea was at the Erddig Parkrun where she recorded 24m 31s and Hannah Jarvis was at Preston Park, Brighton where she finished in 25m 43s.

The Lewis family were at the Clacton run and Madeline was first lady finisher in 21m 30s.

Trevor finished in 22m 42s and junior Eryn recorded 31m 56s.

On Sunday, most members were saving themselves for the first race in the Tuesday evening 5k series on Dovercourt seafront.

Only a handful of members decided to run an extra race.

One of those in action was James Mann, who took on a trail marathon at Brightlingsea.

He negotiated the off-road 26.2-mile route in 6h 26m 59s.

Harry Young was the only club member at the High Easter 10k where he ran 50m 58s, almost exactly the same time as he ran at the Bromley 10k last year.

There was also two members at the Heritage Coast runs at Thorpeness, in Suffolk.

Becky McCorquodale treated the 13-mile race as a training run, finishing in 1h 55m 46s, while Bob Rowles finished the six-mile route in 1h 12m 18s.

Peter Fraser-Hopewell was the only Harwich Runner at the Milton Keynes Half-Marathon on Monday.

Having suffered a calf injury during training, he did well to finish close to his best in 1h 57m 59s.

Andre Besant travelled further than anyone else, competed in the Corfu Mountain Trail run.

The course is 20km and has 1,200 metres of elevation.

Starting in the village of Moraitika, it uses dirt roads and gravel tracks, passing through local villages with beautiful views of mainland Greece. Besant completed the race in 2h 39m 40s, finishing in ninth place and second in his age group.