WOODFORD GREEN with Essex Ladies’ women’s team muscled their way into Britain’s top ten with a stunning collective performance in the National Six-Stage Road Relay at Sutton Park’s course.

Star runner Jessica Sparke and Jodie Swallow were the standout performers for the local club, who bettered their previous best finish of ninth in the championships.

Veteran runner Linda Jackson took the first leg for Woodford, assuming her place on the start line surrounded by athletes up to 20 years her junior.

But she rolled back the years to record a time of 17min26sec, which was good enough for 17th place out of the 67 competing teams.

She handed over to Sparke, who thundered past ten teams in front of her on her way to an excellent time of 16.27, leaving the club in seventh position after two legs.

Eighteen-year-old Georgie Sales ran a solid and composed race, before handing over to Kat Gundersen on the fourth stage, who also kept Woodford in contention.

Lauren Stewart clawed the team back up to ninth, and it was left to Olympic triathlete Swallow to slug it out with the surrounding teams, eventually climbing one place for eighth overall.

Elsewhere, the men’s team failed to match the standards of bygone years, but there were a number of notable displays as they finished 11th in the 12-stage race.

Gavin Lewis, 18, proved he is a prospect to keep an eye out for with a swift race, while 17-year-old Great Britain U20 athlete Ronnie Sparke showed his class in passing established long-distance runner Glen Comish.

Martin Cryer was the team’s other starlet, as he pulled out a stunning time of 14.34 for the 11th quickest run of the day.