Entries are being sought for a new running series to be held across the county this summer.
The Essex 10k Cross Country Series will consist of five races on the second Saturday of each month from May until September.
All races will start at 9.30am and will be traffic-free and chip-timed events, with individual and team competitions.
People can enter events individually, which organiser Craig Thornton believes will help encourage participation.
He said: "From my experience a lot of social runners hardly ever compete in races and I think the reason for this is that often people think they need to be a member of a running club or they will not be good enough to compete in many events.
"I believe racing is the most enjoyable part about running, it gives you a target to train for, allows you to test yourself against other runners and it is quite hard to beat the rush of adrenaline on the day."
The team event is hoping to encourage people to sign up with groups of friends, colleagues and club members, with only three times counting towards the team events, one male, one female and the best other time, which could enable less able runners to be part of the winning team.
The first race will be held at Danbury Woods on May 11.
Each race is priced at £12 for affiliated runners and £14 for non-affiliated runners.
Entry forms for the event are available at http://www.theraceorganiser.com/
