BASILDON AC’s Grant Webb ran away from his rivals to get his first Essex Cross-Country League win in the senior ranks.

The 24-year-old got the better of Woodford Green’s Angus Holford to win over a typically wet and muddy course at Epping Forest.

It was the fourth round of the league series and coming as it did so soon after Christmas and new year, plenty of athletes used it as the one fixture they are allowed to skip.

But that won’t have mattered much to Webb who has been consistently in the top five places all season.

Southend AC’s Oliver Kyriakides also had his best run of the season, finishing in 10th.

Canvey’s Jodie Judd once again stepped up into the senior women’s race and found that none of her elders could live with her as she stormed to victory.

Basildon AC’s Louise Douglass ran well for ninth place while the Southend AC team (Tracy English, 15th, Natasha Lagden, 16th, Anne Jenkinson 20th and Sarah Pennington 21st) finished in third place.

Abi Ives, Basildon AC’s bright young talent, continued her domination of the under-13 age group as she stormed to victory with her team-mate Kierra Scott finishing in ninth.

Thurrock Harriers’ pair Sarah Brackley and Demi Eaves were seventh and eighth respectively.

The third south Essex victory of the day came from Amber Pullinger (Thurrock Harriers) who had a terrific run in the under-15 girls race to get her maiden win at this level.

Her Harriers’ team-mate Hayley Instance was fifth while Benfleet RC’s Grace Goodall was eighth.

Another Benfleet athlete, Sinead Clark, was the best of the rest in the under-17/20 women’s race as she finished second behind run-away leader Khai Mhlanga (Chelmsford).

Basildon AC’s Niamh Smith was fourth and Annabel Matthews-Smith (Southend AC) 10th).

Leon Wheeler, of Thurrock Harriers, was third in the under-13 boys race, just ahead of Southend AC’s Sam Norris who ran well for fourth spot.

Norris was well supported by team-mates Tom Stuttle (15th), Harry Smith (16th) and Ollie Randall (23rd) as the Seasiders finished as the second team.

Basildon AC’s Daniel Houchell was fifth in the under-13 boys race with Southend AC’s Matthew Warner in seventh and Thurrock Harriers’ Finnlay Lowe in ninth.