THERE was a new name on the winners’ list in the tenth RR10 event of the summer off-road running series.

Southampton AC’s Zak Mahamed, competing in the series for the first time in 2016, won the event which took place at Itchen Valley Country Park.

Clubmate Ben Brewster, also competing for the first time this year, was second with Winchester’s Tom Oliver third in the men’s race.

Stubbington’s Michael Gregory was fourth on his first outing this year while Southampton’s Stephen Simpson, who won the ninth race, was fifth – one place ahead of clubmate Andy Griggs.

Totton’s Nick Buis didn’t compete at Itchen Valley, but with three first places, three runners-up spots and two third places to his name had already done enough to win the overall men’s title for 2016.

Connor Lopez (New Forest), Tom Cully (Southampton AC), Ashley Forbes (Southampton AC) and Francis Handy (New Forest) make up the current top five overall in Buis’ slipstream.

Stubbington’s Rebecca Lord won her fourth race of the season, finishing ahead of Sarah Kingston (Southampton AC), Karen Andrews (Hedge End), Hannah Bliss (Wessex) – who was competing for the first time in 2016 – and Stubbington’s Helen Nicholls.

Lord is now guaranteed at least a share of the overall women’s title.

Valeria Sesto (New Forest) will tie with her if she wins the final race – at IBM Hursley on Wednesday, August 17 – but even then Lord will win overall if she finishes second.

Other overall winners so far, with a race to go, are Winchester’s Martyn West (men’s V60), Malcolm Renyard of Hardley (men’s V70) and Sara Rhimes (Eastleigh) in the ladies’ V60.

Elsewhere, Sonia Rushby (Eastleigh) will win the ladies V40 unless Sesto wins the last Hayley Chilvers (Eastleigh) leads in the ladies V50 but Alex Burlinson (Hardley) is still in contention Totton’s Jane Pitt will win the ladies V70 unless Ann Bruce-Low (Hardley) finishes in the top 35 in the last race.

Andy Simpson (Stubbington) is the hot favourite to take the overall men’s V40 title, with only Emyr Morgan (Lordshill) still in the running but requiring an exceptional final race Graham Bungay (Winchester) will win the men’s V50 because the only other contender, Jon Osman (Eastleigh), is on holiday for the final race.