CITY of Salisbury athletics club made a sparkling start to defending their league championship team honours when both their men’s and women’s teams came out on top in the prestigious Hampshire Road League’s five-mile pipe opener at Overton on Saturday.

Six of Salisbury’s 21 athletes set the tone with personal bests at the distance.

After heavy training mileage in recent weeks, Stuart Holloway was beaten for sheer speed but still took fourth place in 26min 33sec to lead out the team contest.

Having finished second overall last year in the league standings he is keen to go one better in the new campaign.

His effort was matched by a trio of excellent closely packed runs: Tom Cummings with a pb 27.34 at 11th, Eliot Haimes 12th in 27.38 and Ben Brewster 14th with 27.45.

Katie West, who last year took third spot in the ladies’ individual league table and who then led the team to second place overall, returned to competition with more good form to finish third lady in 31.47.

Next was Sally Greenslade with 34.40 and she was followed by Ruth Thom, whose pb 34.49 belied the fact that earlier, in a ‘warm-up’ at Bournemouth, she had finished third lady in an 85-minute triathlon.

The men’s B team also put up a strong performance, with Michael Brewster’s 28.29 setting the standard for clubmates Kevin Tilley 28.36, Aaron Wilson 28.58 and Dave West pb 30.54.

Other Salisbury finishers were Andy Budgell 32.27, Rithy Hy 33.25, Nick Willetts pb 34.28, Mel Holloway 35.54, Sarah Brewster pb 36.27, Andy Robbins 39.54, Alan Sawyer 42.23, Colin Martin 48.21, Micayla Wilson 48.27 and Mark Williams 49.52.

Completing his encouraging weekend, Stuart Holloway won the Stockbridge 10k the next day with a good 33min 35sec.

In the Great Wishford multi-terrain 10k, Ben Brewster also came out winner with 37min 33sec, his dad Michael second with 39.40. The came David Osment 45.04, Andy Gillespie 49.23, Sarah Brewster 50.05, John Turley 51.57, and Steve Lomas 52.46.