The SECOND round of the Essex Cross Country League was hosted by Thurrock Harriers and their youngest runners logged some outstanding performances, according to coach Sue Lawrence.

She said: "We were led off by under-13 girl Jessica Judd who in the first race of the day stormed round to win with 50 seconds to spare, but there were plenty of other performances too."

Ollie Davey won the under-15 boys race, with Antony Taylor 2nd, Ben Davey 3rd and Daniel Worbey in 7th.

Said Lawrence: "Winning the team competion easily bodes well for the Essex Championships in January."

Meanwhile Hannah McGowan-Jones fought her way to 4th in the under-15 girls race, where the Harriers team finished 5th, followed by Linzi Boosey in 20th, Georgia Webber in 21st, Nikki Canham 26th and Hollie Martin-Wood 31st.

In the under-13 boys, Connon Howes was 14th, while Adam Dawson finished 13th and Harry King 19th in the men's under-17 race.

In the under-17 girls' race Caroline Hill finished 28th and in the senior women's Vicki Noonan was 39th.

In the senior men's, Paul Green was 36th and ran home just in front of his brother, John with Scott Rice 46th, Chris Scrivener 73rd, Mick Bumstead 75th, Phil Oatham 82nd.

l Jessica Judd competed in the Birmingham Cross Challenge at Senneleys Park, Birmingham, winning the under-13 girls' event by 16 seconds.

>STAR sprinter Akeem Akintokun has left Thurrock Harriers and will be moving to Basildon AC where he will compete in the Southern Premier Division next season.

It is a move to a higher level of competition for student Akintoun, who is one of the top 25 sprinters in the country in his under-15 age-group.