HALSTEAD Road Runners competed at the third running of Harwich Runners' Little Bromley 10k race.

Sunday's event incorporated the Essex 10k Championships.

Despite the rain, conditions were good on a fantastically flat course that offered great personal best (PB) potential.

James Smith, running his first road race in a Halstead vest, set the bar in a new PB of 33 minutes and 55 seconds.

He was followed by Wes Atkins in a time of 36m 44s, also a PB.

Steve May continued the great performances, overtaking club captain Dan Hollinshead in the last mile to knock five minutes off his previous best, crossing the line in 41m 42s with Hollinshead coming in at 42m 1s.

Ivan Filchev was competing on the roads for the first time and pleased with his time of 43m 25s.

He was followed by Simon Humphrey in 44m 15s.

Richard Tiller secured a season's best in 47m 17s.

Mel Candler was the first lady back for the Road Runners in 47m 54s.

Chasing her down was Meg Hollinshead, who had the biggest PB of the day, knocking an incredible nine minutes off her previous best to finish in 48m 38s.

Phil Jeffries improved on his first 10k at Brentwood last year, racing to a new PB of 51m 35s.

Nicole Smith and Axel Voigt set down markers for the season with their times of 53m 44s and 59m 8s respectively.

Elsewhere, Stewart Ellis opted for the St Clares Hospice 10k, finishing in eighth position out of a field of approximately 300 runners in a time of 37m 38s, narrowly missing out on a PB by 14 seconds.