ILFORD AC runner Chris Togwell flew the flag for their nine-strong team at the first of the three Orion Harrriers Forest five-mile trail races on Saturday morning. Togwell put in an extremely strong run to lead the Cricklefields club home in a good time

ILFORD AC runner Chris Togwell flew the flag for their nine-strong team at the first of the three Orion Harrriers Forest five-mile trail races on Saturday morning.

Togwell put in an extremely strong run to lead the Cricklefields' club home in a good time of 32.47 seconds for 20th position.

Club-mate Abdi Berleen came home second in 33.07, with Martin Clarke third.

Vanessa Burns led the women home, clocking 40.52, from Sally Gillam in 44.08. Claire Harrison, competing for the club for the first time, ran extremely well to finish with 46.03.

Ilford had three runners at the Barking and Dagenham five-mile race held at Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham on Sunday.

Steve Parker (34.52) and Rohan Alexander (33.33) both placed highly in the field.

Pam Jones was happy with her 42.30, in a race easily won by veteran Debbie Appleton in just over 31 minutes.

Ilford athlete Jordan Kirby smashed the under-17 200m record at

the third match of the Southern Men's League at Kingston on Saturday.

Kirby showed great professionalism in recording 22.3 to win and knock 15 hundredths off the former club record.

Senior athlete, Aaron Balogun comfortably won both 100m and 200m in excellent times of 11.0 and 22.0 seconds.

Gary Madigan was given five minutes to prepare for his 400m but ran an excellent time of 53.1, narrowly

missing second place on the line. This followed an equal season's best time of 11.5 in the 100m.

Antoine Green made his debut in the 400m hurdles and recorded an excellent time of 1.4.7. Dewa Collier was also in good form with a time of 1.14.3 and Elijah Collins ran an excellent sprint hurdles of 17.8. Simeon Stuart is looking capable of breaking 7m this year as he leapt to a second best-ever distance of 6.62m in the long jump.

Healson Ihuoma managed a distance of 6.40m, just 3cm behind his best.

Ilford recorded the second double win of the day in the triple jump, with fine performances of 13.29m by Nat Senior and 12.60m for Elijah Collins. Sam Malekout and Healson Ihuoma performed well in the pole vault, clearing 2.60m and 2.40m respectively. Malekout and Ihuoma were again together in the javelin, scoring maximum points with a season's best of 42.89m and a personal best of 39.05m respectively.

Craig Burrow scored maximum points in the hammer with 32.49m, but saved his best for the shot with a season's best of 12.09m and an excellent discus throw of 37.73m, while Wes Clarke returned to form in the hammer with 39.24m.

Malcolm Muir (right) was irrepressible on the track, excelling in the 5,000m, 1,500m and 3,000m steeplechase in a busy 90-minute period.

His 5,000m time of 15.53.4 and 10.41.5 in the steeplechase were his best this year, while his 1500m time was 4.17.9.

David Dickinson also attempted a difficult double of 5,000m and 1,500m and excelled himself with times of 16.19.1 and 4.24.9.

Andy Mason ran a personal best of 2.41.6 in the 800m.

With only the relays to go, and scores tight, the pressure was on the squads

to perform.

The earlier promise of the 4x100m squad of Balogun, Kirby, Stuart and Madigan was perfectly realised with a peerless display of sprinting and handovers to record 43.7 and victory by almost a second.

The 4x400m squad was a little under-strength with 3.38.7 including Ihuoma (54.2), Green (56.4), Collins (56.3) and Malekout (51.8), but it didn't matter because the late flurry of points lifted Ilford to second, only seven points shy of a win.

Ilford's next match is at Parliament Hill on June 27.