ORION’S runners grabbed the headlines as the team of Jay Andrews, Lauren MacGregor and Zoe Woodward combined to win the Canvey 5 Road Race team trophy.

The trio headed into the race as defending champions, but replicating last year’s feat was going to prove much tougher, as they were missing key team members and last year’s winner Natalie Kipps through injury. Add that to a higher quality field and the team had their work cut out.

But the three runners delivered in style. Andrews was in superb shape. She stormed to a second place finish, coming home just seconds behind the eventual winner in a stunning new best time, shaving more than four and a half minutes off of her previous record.

MacGregor claimed an impressive seventh place, emulating her team-mate by also smashing her personal best time.

Meanwhile, Woodward, filling in for the missing Kipps, came home in 14th. That was good enough for second place in the women’s over 45 Vet category, while she also pipped Southend’s third runner to the line to earn Orion the team victory.

In the men’s race, Shay Joyce flew round the course in a new personal best time for tenth place.

Tony Maru was also in action, although he laboured to a 79th place finish.