THOUSANDS of runners took part in the Southend Half Marathon last weekend.

Jack Parslow finished first in 1 hour 12 minutes and 16 seconds ahead of Southend’s Paul Whittaker who ran 1:13.44.

Rachel Doherty was the first female finisher, running 1:20.03.

SOUTHEND: There was a team win for the local club with Paul Whittaker leading the three-man squad home.

Rhys Gillard, who has really been picking up the pace this season, finished just three places behind Whittaker in a personal best 1:17.01.

New signing Dan Slayford completing the successful line-up in 31st place with 1:23.42 - also a personal best - in a field of 1,998.

Callum Wallace, who lost out on a medal-winning team place by less than a minute, was 34th with 1:24.25.

Other finishers: Alex Kyriakides [V50] 1:28.28; Justin King [V40] 1:37.06 Mathew Gillard 1:43.43, Alexandra Morgan 1:45.45; Jon Brown (V45) 1:53.57 and Adam Reed (V40) 1:51.57.

LEIGH-ON-SEA STRIDERS: 7th - Matibini Matibini – 1:17.33, John Hannan – 1:22.47, Dean Ovel – 1:25.10, Mark Blee – 1:26.05, Elliott Cone – 1:26.31, Peter Goldring – 1:28.14, Martin Dempsey – 1:28.23, James Burns – 1:28.35, Martin Hitchcock – 1:30.54, Matthew Barrett – 1:34.06, Richard Battams – 1:35.24, Ben Wood – 1:35.40, Al Burridge – 1:37.16, Clint Beagle – 1:37.53, Andrew Saunders – 1:37.58, Brendon Knoetze – 1:40.45, Arran Salmon – 1:44.56, Gary Brown – 1:45.53, Fiona Walker – 1:47.20, Alison Hall - 1:48.34, Mark Armitage – 1:49.02, Peter Roberts – 1:49.45, Beci Callow – 1:49.50, Liam Tarff – 1:50.12, Tania Hagan – 1:50.28, Rob Kahl – 1:51.35, Carol Drake – 1:51.37, Richard Newman – 1:51.51, Gail Alexander – 1:51.56, Jennie Duprey – 1:54.54, Janie Casey – 1:56.07, Gary Walsh – 1:56.23, Johnny Lau – 1:57.56, Lorraine Mitchell – 1:57.57, Robert Prigg – 1:58.11, Julia Summers – 1:58.25, Rachel Geary – 1:59.02, Lynn Rivers – 2:00.32, Michael Haylett – 2:00.39, Martin Diggines – 2:02.35, Ian Smith – 2:02.54, Laura McHugh – 2:06.53, Hugo Jacquot – 2:07.27, Lyndy Souster – 2:07.29, Pippa Reeve – 2:10.00, Zoe Storrar – 2:10.51, John Wood – 2:11.32, Natalie Lewis – 2:11.40, Marylisa Browne - 2:14.32, Cathy Salmon – 2:15.12, Samantha Miller – 2:16.53, Kerry Prigg – 2:22.35, Georgina McMasters – 2:22.52, Angela Beckwith – 2:24.35, Maria Wood – 2:27.25, Pamela Durrant - 2:29.11, Jacqui Prigg – 2:32.06, Dawn Haylett – 2:32.42, Rhoda Lester – 2:34.45, Dee Meech – 2:37.04, Sarah Duggans - 2:42.34 and Michelle Roberts – 2:52.03.

BENFLEET: Peter Bracken 1:17.08, James Caldon 1:18.06, Terrence Spooner 1:21:15, Graham Booty 1:25:33. Nikki Leigh 1:44:35, Melanie Anthony 1:56:44, Jackie McLeod 1:59:30, Kerry Williams 2:00:35 and Ceri Whitfield 2:13:04.

Special mention should be made to Bob Chapman, Steve Wise, Terry Allen, Barry Key and Andrew Low who ran the entire 13.1 miles together to pay special tribute to the their friend and fellow Benfleet team mate Brian Lunt who recently passed away.

Also running for BRC were Paul Delaney 1:27.27, Tim Tomlins 1:30.54, Ash Smith 1:35.57, Lee Whieldon 1:39.13, Graham Hewhall 1:44.42, Stuart Ross 1:46.26, Stewart Morley 1:50.38, Chris Chappell 1:56.07, Mark Cowan 1:56.13, Morgan Reddish 2:12.18, Lee Allen 2:12.31 and Richard Dyson 2:25.32.

CASTLE POINT JOGGERS: Barry Hockley 1:33.56, Richard Bonham 1:34.36, Andrew Johns 1:37.47, Carl Hlustik 1:41.26 (PB), Pat O’Connor 1:46.44, Mike Hopkins 1:46.35, Tracey Bradley 2:00.53 (PB), Mark Whitney 2:01.09, Phil Ransom 2:10.57, Albert Miles 2:15.08 and Clive Dunnico 3:21.11

ROCHFORD: Gary Pitman 1:30.42, Tim Evans 1:33.03, Adam Shaw 1:39.56, Kevin Peters 1:41.30, Samantha Pickett 1:44.08, Steven Trennery 1:46.30, Clive Bailey 1:47.39, Paul Claydon 1:47.42, Keith Lovell 1:47.44, Darren Latter 1:47.44, Mark Roberston 1:48.15, Michelle Evans 1:49.48, Sharley Smith 1:57.31, Jason Goodman 1:57.51, Victoria Wadley-Smith 1:57.52, Jo Harding 2:03.42, Mark Harding 2:03.44, Sara Hartland 2:05.16, Michelle Baker 2:22.20, Helen Marriott 2:39.09 and Emma Mead 3:04.05.