Stubbington Green Runners

THE Stubbington Green Winter Handicap became embroiled in controversy at the weekend. Never mind the Premiership's bung enquiry or Sven's Arab sheikh sting, the annual canter around the highways and bi-ways of Warsash had its fair share of gossip.

Twenty five Stubbies took part in this year's event, which started at the Passage Lane car park in Warsash, and finished by the tastefully decorated pink Hamble ferry hut.

The route took runners up the River Hamble path, through Holly Hill, back into Warsash and a loop around the School of Navigation before venturing towards the finish - roughly 7.5 miles.

No watches, global positioning devices, sundials or timing aids were allowed. The key was to complete the route and finish as closest as possible to 11.40am.

Steve Wylie thought he had taken the honours on the day when he past the pink hut at 11.39 and 15 seconds.

However, club chairman, and all round tough cheese, Mike Clarke, wasn't convinced, and launched his own judicial enquiry at Wylie's amazing finish - he'd started with Zippy Grice and no-one had seen him or overtaken him en route.

"After a little chat, Steve admitted he had taken an alternative route," revealed Lord Chief Justice Clarke afterwards.

Instead, the joint winners were Liz Hall and Andy James, who is their mad-dash scramble to the finish, almost sent a poor child flying along the footpath. They finished at 11.41am and 47 seconds, winning a bottle of wine each.

What bottle of wine? "Um, I forgot to buy the wine," revealed Lord Chief Justice Wino. "I will sort it out."

Jane Butler and Helen Kimber were the first to finish and were way off target at 11.32. And no-one could be bothered to get Mark Le Gassick's time. Everyone else was in the Rising Sun pub by the time he surfaced!

Handicap results.

Jane Butler 11.32
Helen Kimber 11.32
Chris Hall 11.35 Wrong direction (walking)
Kathy McKain 11.35.37
Anne O'Neill 11.35.37
Helen Adams 11.35.37
Steve Wylie 11.39.15
Andy James 11.41.47
Liz Hall 11.41.47
John Vose 11.43.15
Nick Davies 11.43.18
Nick Kember 11.43.18
John Leigh 11.43.18
Marcus Lee 11.43.18
Zippy Grice 11.43.50
Mike Harper 11.43.50
Phil May 11.44.15
Mike Laws 11.44.15
George Childs 11.47.27
Peter Rawlins 11.48.00
Jenny Hearnden 11.49.58
Dennis Woodward 11.49.58
Gary Littlecott 11.50.15
Helen Grice 11.50.30
Mark Le Gassick - No time every one else was in the pub when Mark run past