Haslemere Border Athletics Club (HBAC) had a strong turnout for the opening race of the 2025-26 Southern Cross Country League season.

HBAC sent 29 runners to the opening race at Benyon’s Inclosure at Silchester. The 8.4km course twisted through woodland trails and featured a water crossing.

Duncan Selmes led the HBAC team home with a superb run to take first place. Some unclear signage caused brief detours for the club’s leading group, yet HBAC still secured fourth place overall, with the women finishing third and the men fifth.

On Hayling Island, the Hayling 10 offered fast, flat roads and coastal views. For Gemma Reeder and Tina Fairminer, the race was a chance to chase personal bests, and for Fairminer, another step towards her first marathon. Both delivered strong runs, with Fairminer recording a personal best of 2:11.31 and Reeder finishing in 1:39.24.

Across the Dorset coast, Tom Owen tackled the Jurassic Coastal 24km race around the Isle of Purbeck. The route began at Corfe Castle before heading past Old Harry Rocks and climbing the ridges of the Purbeck Way. With steady pacing, Own finished in an impressive 2:08.24.

Further afield, Niamh O’Hagan completed her first half marathon at Lake Garda, choosing the scenic Italian setting for her debut. Supported by training that included 10km races, the Great South Run and HBAC training sessions, she ran confidently throughout and finished in 2:22.13.

Christina Archer continued her strong form at the Three Trails Half Marathon, starting in Graffham and taking in sections of the South Downs Way, the Serpent Trail and the Lipchis Way. She ran superbly to finish fourth overall and first in her age group.

The club also enjoyed a Halloween social run, with Stephen Sutton winning the best outfit award.

By Ann Varnes