Hitchin-based triathlon club FVS TRI were on cross-country duty again over the weekend. It was the penultimate race in the Sunday Cross-Country League which includes most of the top clubs in Herts and North London. The veteran ladies led the way again wit

Hitchin-based triathlon club FVS TRI were on cross-country duty again over the weekend.

It was the penultimate race in the Sunday Cross-Country League which includes most of the top clubs in Herts and North London.

The veteran ladies led the way again with a great team performance over the hilly Therfield Heath course near Royston.

Winning the vets team race, Lesley Dutton, Jackie Perry and Sam Tophill cemented their overall lead with just the remaining Watford fixture this weekend and hope to improve on their second place from 2006.

Perry leads the individual vets rankings and Dutton has an excellent chance of a medal if she maintains form for the Watford fixture.

First female home was Chris Yuill in the senior race in a time of 24:07 for the three-mile event.

In a strong team performance across the board, the FVS TRI men are still challenging for second in the main competition as well as leading the B team and vets team rankings.

Run coach Brian White led home the men with a time of 35:03 for the approximate five miles of hills to finish 14th overall and first MV50.

Men's times: Brian White 35:03, Steve James 36:20, Gav May 36:27, James Grierson 36:35, Mike Russell 37:33, Steve Chalk 38:08, Mark Robertson 38:15, John Burgess 38:34, Sean Bradley 39:11, Kevin Ash 39:28, Adrian Mussett 39:59, Stewart Kay 40:26, Dave Hard 41:46, Pete Eames 42:39, Mic Clark 43:06, Greg Evans 44:55, Richard Thomas 45:49, Drew Lowrie 46:17, Keith Perry 46:22, Ian Hobbs 48:33.

Women's times: Chris Yuill 24:07, Lesley Dutton 24:27, Jackie Perry 24:47, Sam Tophill 25:19, Helen Shulver 26:35, Karen Dodsworth 27:36, Anna Priestley 29:12, Michelle McPhail 30:07.

Ironman Mike Utton completed the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon in 1-27:39 which was more than five minutes faster than last year.

Simon Hall and Sam Tophill raced the Stamford 30k recently.

Hall was an excellent sixth overall in a time of 1-51:46 and Sam finished in 2-28:03 in 210th position from the 560 who completed the event.

Ten hardy Fairlands Valley Spartans ran up and down the Therfield Heath hills on Sunday morning.

They were also taking part in the fourth cross-country league event of the season.

Martin Wood was easily their first finisher in the men's race which was over five miles. He was 24th overall in 36:02.

Several Spartans in the middle order motivated themselves with an intra-club battle culminating in a sprint over the last 200m or so.

Top in the tussle was David Frampton, 61st in 40:15, and then came Jim Brown, 62nd in 40:18, and Steve Smithson, 63rd in 40:23.

New member Alan Donald was just one minute behind - he was 70th in 41:23.

New member Juliet Brown was first Spartan in the women's race which was over three miles. She was 30th in 27:30.

Spartans men (five miles): Martin Wood 36:02, David Frampton 40:15, Jim Brown 40:18, Steve Smithson 40:23, Alan Donald 41:23, Andrew Hull 45:37, Dennis Cannon 49:03.

Spartans women (three miles): Juliet Brown 27:30, Sharon Crowley 31:34, Lorraine Thomas 32:11.

Three prolific marathon runners took part in Sunday's Valencia Marathon in Spain. This was a big city marathon which attracted about 3,000 entries. The flat course and good conditions helped Roger Biggs, Michaela Sanders and Mark Sanders to their best times so far this year.

Times: Roger Biggs 3-39:01, Michaela Sanders 4-39:20, Mark Sanders 4-41:20.

Todd Gray was the first of 22 Spartans in last Thursday evening's handicap 5k race on the Grace Way/Verity Way course in Stevenage. Gray beat his January time by 43 seconds to finish in 18:44, ahead of Andrew Patterson in 18:25.