NEWLY-CROWNED Hampshire Cross-Country champion Alex Teuten intends to add more road races to his calendar.

His improvement on the surface was demonstrated last weekend when he competed for England in the ‘Bermuda Triangle Challenge'.

Teuten, who has just joined Southampton AC from City of Portsmouth, got a taste for road running in Saturday's Bermuda 10k where he finished third in a personal best (pb) time of 30 minutes and 23 seconds.

Some of the England athletes, including 25-year-old Teuten, decided to contest the half-marathon on Sunday and he ran a pb in that too, clocking 1.07.57.

He said: “It was a really enjoyable trip and I had some good training runs with (England teammates) Scott Overall and Matt Sharp in the build-up.

“Saturday’s 10k went really well.

“The conditions were challenging. At least a minute can be accounted for by the hilly course, the heat and the high humidity, so 30.23 was a good time considering.

“I had a race-long battle with Matt, who initially broke away with Scott and (Ethiopia’s) Yigezu, the race winner. I hung on as best I could and, by mile five, there was a steep hill during which Matt fell back from the other two and I started closing.

“Then there was a second hill with 600m to go where I made my move on Matt and went past.

“I was delighted to beat Matt who beat me convincingly at the Great South Run and Victory 5. “To be so close to Scott (30.17), who competed at 2012, was really encouraging as well.

“I’ve clearly progressed a lot this season and I’m excited to see what I can do in the second half.”

Teuten, who commutes from Portsmouth to Southampton University where he is doing a PhD in chemistry, was pleased with his half-marathon too.

“To pb on tired legs in tough conditions was great and highlights my fitness and consistency,” he said.

“Scott and Yigezu were clear after the first mile, but I was pleased to break clear of the other Ethiopian competitor so comfortably by mile four.

“After that I was running by myself for nine miles, but the views made the run enjoyable. I slowed between miles nine and 12 as my legs were feeling the 10k the day before, but I put in a quick last mile to ensure I achieved that pb and sub-68.

Teuten, coached by Rod Lock at Southampton, added: “I feel like I will start introducing more road races into my calendar from now on, not just because I have improved on the surface but because they attract a larger audience which I hope will offer sponsorship opportunities."