WET conditions spoiled City of Salisbury's chances of making a blistering start to their Wessex Young Athletes’ campaign at Oxford when a waterlogged track forced the encounter to be postponed.

Among those who were able to compete, Greg Herring won the under 13s 800m in 2min 27sec and the 100m in 14.4sec.; Molly Hole easily won the shot put with 8.15m and came second in the girls’ 100m with 14.1.

Another great throw came from Ottilie Knight who won the under 15s javelin with 31.68m. Both she and Molly are now in the national rankings’ top 20.

Also in the under 15s, Morgan Ringwood won the high jump with 1.50m and Abigail Burn won the 1500m in 5min 14sec with Louise Webb taking the B string in 5.23.

With the marathon season now in full swing, three City of Salisbury athletes contested the North Dorset village 26miler based at Sturminster Newton.

On a less than speedy rural course where only two runners beat the three hour barrier, Jon Rich did well to cross the finishing line in 3hours 26min 7sec. David Howarth was next in 4.07.55 and then came one of the club’s distance running specialists Liz Roberts with 4.35.29.

In the Vale of Pewsey, David Osment clocked 4.16.12 in the Sarsen Trail marathon between Avebury and Stonehenge.

A new event, the Southampton ‘marafun’ featuring two crossings of the lofty Itchen Bridge saw Clive Smith competing in the half marathon distance, recording a 1hour 33min 23sec, a good run in the breezy conditions. Kate Mansfield clocked a steady 1.48.08 and Ali Theobald 2.03.19.

The same climbs of the bridge faced runners in the 10k, where Jackie Chlebowski finished well up in her age category with 54.07.

At the Ferndown 10k Susanne Howland was timed at 59.23 and in the Hurstbourne Tarrant 5mile race along part of the Test Way Laura Buchanan clocked 48.10.