Southampton City's men came good in a mammoth struggle with Stubbington Green and Winchester & District to win the Test Way Relay from Inkpen to Totton. The event involves eight legs along the approved path of the Hampshire RuralTrail, varying from eight to 11 kilometres.

SRC were almost five minutes down on their rivals after the fifth leg, then Andy Morgan-Lee set a new leg-six record and Eddie Tee and MikeTwomey saw them home first in just under four hours and 20 minutes. The mixed teams of four men and four women were dominated by Havant AC who lowered the course record by 12 minutes from second-placed Stubbington Green and third-placed Lordshill Runners. The final category of women only teams was won for the first time by Southampton Running Club, who took the lead from Eastleigh RC on leg three and never looked back.Hardley passed Easleigh in mid-race to secure runners-up spot. All 26 teams made it back to Totton safely, without losing too many runners along the route and Hardley again organised an effective event which has become a popular calendar item.

This Sunday all roads lead to Portsmouth Common for the Great South 10-mile race, which had a full entry of 10,000 early in August and will include many hundreds of Solent area competitors along with world class runners.

Soutampton's Morgan-Lee has been invited into the elite lineup and hopes to make a serious impact at the front. Another Southampton RC man Mark Cooper, who is now based in Bristol, hopes to celebrate his elevation to veteran status by finishing near the top of his age-group.