Stubbington Green Runners

MARK LE GASSICK holds a one point lead at the top of the men's table going into the final RR10 race of the season.

At Stoke Park Wood on Wednesday evening, Mark finished third as an expected challenge from Southampton Running Club's Andy Morgan-Lee disappeared.

Andy, who shared the Hampshire Road Race League title with Mark earlier this year, turned up late to the venue in Bishopstoke, starting from the back of the field. The Southampton runner eased his way to the front, but walked off the course after the first lap.

The race, over an undulating 4.8-mile two-lap course around the woods, was won by Winchester's Julian Mann, with New Forest Runners' Chris Olden in second place. Mark came home in third place.

Andy Morgan-Lee has run just five races this summer and needs to compete in the final race at IBM's Hursley Park base on August 16th to stand a chance of claiming the individual crown.

But at the moment, it is Stubbington's Mark Le Gassick who holds a one point lead ahead of last year's champion, Julian Mann, with Chris Olden, RR10 title winner in 2002, in third. There's all to play for in a couple of weeks' time.

A total of 269 runners took part in the race which was a tough old grind around the wooded area, with a lung-busting uphill start to begin with.

Stubbington had a good turn-out of runners, despite a number of late withdrawals through injury and unavailability.

Ray Gunner managed to finish just ahead of team-mate Andy Simpson who claimed 19th and 21st places respectively. Mike Harper galloped his way around in 28th spot and Ben Whittaker reported in with 45th place giving the men fourth in the team rankings on the night to lie sixth overall after nine races.

Dave King headed the B team with 100th place, followed by Marcus Lee who was just behind him in 102nd. Andy Lee in his first race of the season was 122nd , a tired-looking Ryan Gunner placed 130th and the always refreshed Gary Littlecott breezed to the finish in 151st . The men's B team were 22nd on the day, and overall hold 23rd spot.

For the ladies, Lucy Simmons enjoyed her best run of the series so far with 20th place, even though she admitted to feeling tired afterwards. Lesley Harding, in her first race as a 40-year-old, was 32nd , and a smiling Rachel Whittaker finished 49th to give the ladies A team 13th on the day, and 12th overall.

Chris Haskell followed in 61st , Donna Shaw 71st , Liz Hall 76th for her best placing of the summer, and debutant Michelle Simpson in 82nd as the B team took 24th on the day and 25th overall.

The last race of the season will be staged at IBM's Hursley Park centre. It is a three-lap course, quite narrow in places, but not muddy and a fun end-of-season finale.

The men's crown is in the balance. Southampton Running Club's Andy Morgan-Lee looks favourite to claim individual honours, but on Wednesday evening the 36-year-old started from the back of the field after arriving late, and despite moving through to the front he pulled out after half way.

Morgan-Lee has run five races, but he needs to compete at Hursley Park to have six counting runs in order to lay a claim to the individual title.

Stubbington Green's Mark Le Gassick, who was third at Stoke Park Wood, holds a slender one point overall lead from last year's champion, Winchester's Julian Mann, who won Wednesday night's race. New Forest Runners' Chris Olden, who won the title in 2002 and was second in midweek, lies a further point adrift.

Southampton Running Club look hot favourites to regain their men's team title as Pete Davis in fourth, Russell Kober in fifth and Russ Coleman in sixth packed well to lead the city club home.

If you would like to race, then please contact either Dave King on peekay63@aol.com or Mark Le Gassick on mlegass2003@yahoo.co.uk

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