LAURA SWORD was the pick of a busy week for Ilford AC with an excellent run at the Hackney Marshes 5km. Racing in hot, sunny conditions, Swords acquitted herself well on a flat, fast course, finishing up as the fifth lady home and 48th overall in a time o

LAURA SWORD was the pick of a busy week for Ilford AC with an excellent run at the Hackney Marshes 5km.

Racing in hot, sunny conditions, Swords acquitted herself well on a flat, fast course, finishing up as the fifth lady home and 48th overall in a time of 23 minutes 53 seconds.

On Sunday, Terry Knightley and Kevin Newell were in action in the Canvey Island Rotary 10km race on a tough multi-terrain course comprising sea walls and tracks.

Knightley finished seventh in 38.33 with Newell 13th in 40.39.

The race was won by Thurrock's John Green with Havering 90's Tony Pecararo second in a field of 150 runners.

Sally Gillam travelled to Ely, Cambridgeshire to compete in the Grunty Fen half-marathon, continuing her build-up to the Abingdon marathon in October.

Gillam (pictured left) was happy with her finishing time of 1:48.36 seconds, picking off people in the latter stages for 235th out of 457 starters.

The race was won by Neil Addison of Shaftesbury Barnet in 1:10.43, with Colchester's Adrian Mussett in close attendance with 1:10.03.

A round trip of nearly 500 miles on Sunday saw Ilford's Robin Davis travel to Catterick Army Camp, North Yorkshire, to take part in the Para 10 endurance race.

The 10-mile course is the route that parachute troops have to complete in under 1:50.00 to gain their red beret, covering tracks, hills, water and what Davis could only describe as mountains.

He completed it in 1:46.23.