STUART Holloway led the City of Salisbury running club's opening foray in the Hampshire road race league's first event of the new season at the hotly-contested Overton 5mile.

He took a highly promising third place with a swift 26min 54sec run that put him close to the front of the field where the pace was high from the very start.

It was the ultra-quick pairing of Toby Lambert and Toby Cooke, both Winchester AC, who blocked Holloway's winning ambitions, their first and second places making very clear the Hampshire club's intentions on league honours in this campaign.

For Salisbury, a good team effort, despite being at less than full strength - earned seventh spot overall behind Winchester. Mike Brewster with 29.21, Kevin Tilley 30.31 and Adam Bradburn 31.44 comprised the rest of the club's A team.

Going one place better in the team scores, Salisbury's women's team were led out for the first time by newcomer Jo-Anne Gready whose 34.25 was a quality run for 12th in the individual standings and she was supported by Fiona Pengelly in 35.52 and Sarah Brewster in 36.58 for a well-earned sixth team placing.

In division 2, Salisbury men's B team celebrated a notable set of performances by taking first place in their league table ahead of Farnham and Lordshill. Steve Auton with 32.21, Dave West 32.52, Mike White 34.29 and Andy Budgell 34.41 were the quartet with reason to smile for the rest of the day.

Other finishers were Nick Willetts, back to racing after absence due to injury, 35.06, Jay Friedlander 40.24 and club stalwart Rod Smith 44.13.