Southern Cross Country Championships
IT was a battle between dad and son at the Southern Cross Country Championships with family pride at stake in the Gueran family.
Eighteen-year-old Daniel pipped dad John by just five seconds on the course around Parliament Hills in Hampstead, North London. Dan clocked a time of 70min 18sec for 6596th, to John's 70.23 and 6599th place. For John, it was the first time he had run the event since his debut as a 15-year-old back in 1971.
They led home a five-strong Stubbington team. Gordon Westley the next to finish in 6603rd in a time of 71.28, followed by Phil May with 73.43 for 6604th and Nick Crane whose time of 79.26 earned him 6595th place.
The race was won by Wells City Harriers' Frank Tickner in a time of 46.14, with Stubbington's very own Andy Vernon, running in Aldershot, Farnham & District AC colours, placing second, just half a minute down, in 46.44.
"Andy Vernon lapped us all in coming in second in the race," said Phil May afterwards. "That was a first for me to have been lapped. Conditions were not as bad as expected with some dry patches over the back of the course. But it still sapped the energy."
In the women's under-20s race, another former Stubby, Becky Gough, placed eighth in a time of 20min 38sec. Becky now runs for Winchester & District AC. The race was won by Aldershot, Farnham & District's Steph Twell in a time of 19.07.
Some 832 runners finished the course, with the last man in coming home in 1hr 50mins.