HASLEMERE Border Athletic Club produced the men’s winner and ladies’ runner-up in the fourth race of the Southern Cross Country League series, hosted by Hart Road Runners at Lord Wandsworth College.

Apart from working off any Christmas excesses, the runners faced the infamous mudbath on this five-mile course.

The New Year’s Day downfall added extra depth to the muddy puddles, treacherous roots and all things nasty. Times were obviously affected, but many runners embraced the conditions and saw the funny side of emerging from the race looking like the creature from the black lagoon.

The two-loop course offered little respite from either hills or bog, apart from the initial and final sprints across the school fields.

Haslemere Border fielded a particularly strong women’s team of 19 runners. First in for the club with a superb second place was Jackie Field, followed by Donna Read in eighth and Sofia Shearing tenth.

They was the scoring trio. Close behind were Sally Goble in 11th and Amy Smith in 20th. Then came Sian Dixon in 40th, Philomel Pike 45th, Clare Wadey 49th, Karen Dickensen 58th, Lari Williams 61st, Lisa Blaydon 67th, Rachel Barlow 99th, Caroline Searle 106th, Rebecca Weighell 120th, Kate Elmer 138th, Sarah Bergquist 142nd, Louise Turner 147th, Annick Hollins 158th and Caroline Lawler 172nd.

These results earned the Haslemere ladies a fine second place overall, just losing out to arch rivals Stubbington Green.

Haslemere had equal numbers of men and they also gave a dominant performance. It was a Border one-two, in fact, with Lawrence Hollom winning the race and Luke Shearring coming second.

The other points-scorers were Harry Wood in 16th, Luke Brocks 27th and Chris Shipley 37th.

Other Border men’s placings: Tom Gant 51st, Chris Lee 86th, Charlie Barwick 95th, Richard Spandley 142nd, Alastair Doyle 147th, Jonathon Barker 152nd, Roger Cripps 170th, Rupert Hollom 179th, Paul Fleming 193rd, Dave Bateman 206th, Andy Wareham 214th, Tom Bampton 221st, Steve Currie 239th, Bob Monteath 251st.

The Haslemere men matched the ladies with second place overall.

The combined results gave Haslemere Border equal first place with Basingstoke & Mid Hants. Overall, Haslemere remain top of the league table.

The next Southern Cross race will be hosted by Stubbington Green at Manor Farm on Sunday, January 22.