Buis takes road race honours (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Buis takes road race honours

7:20am Monday 11th March 2013 in Sport

TOTTON Running Club’s Nick Buis continued his season to remember by landing the honours in the ninth round of the Hampshire Road Race League – the Salisbury 10-mile race.

More than 400 runners braved the chilly conditions along a testing course that follows the River Avon basin past Stratford Sub Castle and the Woodford villages before crossing the river for a hilly finish through Lower Durnford.

The host club’s Stuart Holloway set a fast pace from the off, turning at the halfway point some 40 seconds clear of the chasing individuals. However, as he attacked the hills around the seven-mile mark he was caught and passed by Buis, who carried on his momentum to win by almost 20 seconds in 53 minutes 45 seconds.

Holloway came home in second (54.04) and Julian Manning from Denmead Striders led a chasing group home for third place in 56 mins 5 secs. Another Totton man, Dean James , just missed out in the scramble for third place but snatched a good fourth himself with 56 mins 9 secs.

In the women’s race there was no surprise to see the find of 2012 , Jessica Barling (Lordshill Road Runners) making all the early running. And she was never headed, winning easily in 62 minutes 5 seconds.

Second behind Barling was Katie West from Salisbury (62 mins 36 secs) and third was Tanya Brady of Stubbington Green Runners (63 mins 39 secs).

Teamwise it was Salisbury’s day all round as the men dominated the early placings and easily won the team title, with their ‘B’ squad taking second. Lordshill Road Runners will have been well pleased with their showing in third place. The women of Salisbury closed their scoring trio long before any other team and provided a double for the host club.

There is very little rest for the battling runners in the league as March 24 is the B&Q Eastleigh 10k, where an entry of over 2,000 runners has been received.

Hampshire Cross Country members came away from the Inter Counties Championships at Cofton Park, Birmingham, with some pride as the senior women won the team prize, with Louise Damen winning her race. The under-15 boys were not far adrift when coming second , and Southampton lad Mahammed Mahammed finished tenth to lead his team colleagues into silver spot.

Full results in today's Daily Echo