FOUR of the 12 entrants from Farnham Runners recorded personal best times in the Overton five-mile race.

This was the first Hampshire Road Race League meeting of the new season (12 in all) and Overton Harriers were staging their 28th five-mile race.

The route was new, comprising one lap of closed or traffic-managed country roads, and was unexpectedly hilly, given the profile provided.

At the final tally last season, Farnham Runners ladies A remained in the top flight, while the men’s A gained promotion. Both the B teams held position in B Division One, as did the men’s C in B Division Two. This year, the club will field a new C team, which, surprisingly, slots straight into B Division One.

The reliable James Clarke led Farnham Runners in, 48th out of 482 finishers in a time of 30mins 01sec.

Andrew Ellison came 50th (30-42), followed by Stuart Haig in 97th (32-24). Ali Hardaway, spurred on by his third M50 placing in the summer Yateley 10km series, recorded a PB 33-40.

This A quartet, however, were squeezed down to 10th by the stiff competition.

Chris Cramp (PB 34-47) led in an incomplete B string of Mike Anderson ((36-25) and Keith Marshall (37-24).

The ladies A fared much better, finishing seventh out of 10 in their top division. Emma Pearson was near her best with a personal best 36-42, earning her 41st out of 184 ladies, while Lindsay Bamford finished 10th F45 (45th overall) in 37-20.

Fighting off an injury, Jane Georghiou clocked 39-31 for fourth F55. Tina Harrison (PB 41-31) and Mary Denise Fitzgerald (43-05) made up a depleted B string that placed 12th out of 15.