Watford Harriers celebrated winning an eastern region England Athletics award in the Participation Project category.

The award recognises the club’s contribution to the highly successful open graded meetings.

The meetings, which run on Wednesday evenings, attract many athletes, including of international pedigree, and competitors such as Jo Pavey, Christine Ohorougu and Iwan Thomas have taken part.

Club president Richard Parles said: “The meetings have been running for 20 years and are undoubtedly the most successful of their type in the country. We had a record 560 athletes at a recent meeting.

“Athletes and their coaches come in safe knowledge that the meetings are always very well organised and the renowned fast track ensures that the meetings dominate the Power of Ten distance results throughout all age groups every season.”

The meetings have also, at the request of UK Athletics, put on time trials for athletes trying to obtain Olympic qualifying times, but are available for everyone to participate in.

“The meetings also cater for disabled athletes and host a good number of British Milers Club elite races,” Parles continued.

“With the support of SLM and Watford Council, the meetings have been organised by many years by the same group of Harriers with very considerable help from some of the very best technical officials in the south of England.”