HALSTEAD Road Runners' James Smith completed an amazing feat of endurance after being selected to take part in the West Highland Way race.

The event started in Milngavie on the outskirts of Glasgow at 1am on Saturday morning and finished 95 miles later in Fort William.

The terrain is extremely rocky underfoot and naturally includes scaling some high peaks - with 14,760 feet of ascent - as well as steep descents.

Smith completed the course in 25 hours 31 minutes well inside the 35-hour cut-off.

Participants are able to have a support runner after 51 miles.

Smith was aided by friend and Colchester Harrier, Allen Smalls, himself a previous finisher, who ran the remainder of the race with him.

All finishers are presented with a crystal goblet at a ceremony the day after the race.

The main local event of the weekend was the Mersea Round the Island multi-terrain race, a half marathon distance, which includes sections on the beach. The heat attracted a large number of bugs to the bright yellow Halstead vests so much so runners had to turn their vests inside out.

Official results are awaited, but watch times saw Ian Chandler first back for the club in 1h 57m, while Caroliena Cameron ran 1h 59m, Phil Jeffries 2h 4m, Anthony Denton 2h 32m and Lisa Clark 2h 33m.

Meanwhile, Sandi Robinson-Miller did the Steeple Bumpstead 10K and her time was 56m 9s placed her as 12th female overall and sixth vet female out of a field of 198 runners in total.