FVS TRI opened the 2006 season with a superb overall win for Steve Harrison in the Milton Keynes Big Cow Winter Duathlon. Held at the Milton Keynes Bowl, the event comprised a 4.5k run, 16k bike and 3.8k run. The bike course was over 12 laps and proved to

FVS TRI opened the 2006 season with a superb overall win for Steve Harrison in the Milton Keynes Big Cow Winter Duathlon.

Held at the Milton Keynes Bowl, the event comprised a 4.5k run, 16k bike and 3.8k run. The bike course was over 12 laps and proved to be exciting with three races all happening simultaneously but on a time-delayed basis.

The ladies from FVS TRI were also winners with Lesley Dutton again securing victory in the veterans' category and taking an early lead in the three-race series.

In a close male veterans' race, featuring 10 FVS TRI duathletes, Steve James was in close touch with the leader throughout and finished an excellent second.

The male senior race was the largest field with more than 60 competitors, nine in FVS TRI colours.

The race was unbelievably close with eventual winner Harrison seconds ahead of the pack as they came into transition after the first run.

Slipping a place on the bike leg, due to unfamiliarity with the technical course, Steve went into the final run leg in second behind last year's series winner who was racing on his home course.

He tracked and passed him in the closing few hundred metres, staying ahead in a competitive sprint for the line to secure a well-earned victory.

Times, male senior: Stephen Harrison 56:18, James Brooks 1-05:08, Simon Patenall 1-07:29, Jonathan Gillham 1-08:25, Mark Grayson 1-11:06, Daniel McGuigan 1-11:33, Danny Brooks 1-14:23, Edward Manson 1-15:42, David Robinson 1-16:44.

Male vet: Steve James 1-02:14, Steven Chalk 1-04:23, John Burgess 1-06:47, David Coard 1-07:02, Jeremy Lintott 1-08:42, John Rose 1-09:10, Tony Hinchliffe 1-13:39, Paul Dutton 1-17:27, David Farthing 1-18:06, Richard Thomas 1-18:54.

Female senior: Dawn Green 1-25:17.

Female vet: Lesley Dutton 1-14:16, Jan Forrester 1-18:50, Sarah Bryce 1-25:45.

Steve James also competed in the week, improving his Bedford 5k series time by 12 seconds to finish fourth on the night in a time of 17:29.

North Herts Road Runners tackled two 5k races, a duathlon and an eight-mile assault course.

The second of the Bedford 5K series of races saw Anna Priestley again finish as first female vet 50 with a time of 23:47. The runners had to contend with icy underfoot conditions but there were good performances by John Russell (19:55), Russell Smyth (21:00) and Chris Priestley (23:46).

Seven Squirrels competed at London's Hyde Park in the first Serpentine 5k of 2006. Stewart Bryant finished just one second behind Mark Young, who led the team home in 18:58, but Bryant had the consolation of finishing as second vet 50 in the usual high-class field.

Duncan Hooker finished in 19:19, Chris Priestley 20:02 and Kevin Kirk 20:14. Two of their ladies also ran, Jo Summers finishing as third female vet 40 with a time of 21:41 and seasoned Serpentine campaigner Lindsay Cook 25:29.

Priestley and Hooker were both in action the following day at the first of the winter duathlons at Milton Keynes. The event which comprised a two-mile run, a 10-mile cycle followed by another two-mile run saw Priestley complete the disciplines in 1-11:25 and Hooker 1-16:17.

Marc Trussell travelled to Wolverhampton for the notorious Tough Guy Challenge on Sunday.

The obstacles over the eight-mile course included brambles, several steep hills, walls, barbed wire and an abundance of water and mud that had to be either waded through or crossed. Trussell managed to complete the ordeal in 2-16:34 and was among over 3,000 finishers.

There was an excellent turnout of 34 club members for last Thursday's 22nd running of the Fairlands Valley Spartans Handicap 5k.

First to cross the line and beating her handicap by 2:11 was Carly Smith in 24:00. Fastest runner on the night was Todd Gray in an impressive 18:20.

The next handicap 5k will be on Thursday, February 23.

Four Spartans raced in Bedford last Wednesday evening at the Balancing Blues 5K.

Times: Roger Biggs 22:29, Ken Meenan 23:53, Paul Holgate 23:58, Sharon Crowley 24:01.

Roger Biggs recorded 1-15:55 for the hilly Canterbury 10 on Sunday. He was 263rd out of 862 finishers.

Three Spartans headed west for the Stonehenge Stomp off road event.

On the 25 mile course, Mike Newbitt took 4-25:15 and Rob Hardy 4-58:03. Over 12.5 miles, Pauline Hardy took 3-00:16.

* Stevenage and North Herts AC member Sara Bailey was 16th in the South of England Cross-country Championships at Bicton College, Exmouth, on Saturday.

The Stevenage athlete finished the junior women's race in 20:52.