IAIN Rutherford logged another good racing performance at the hilly Longleat 10k to take a well-earned fourth place.

The City of Salisbury club runner clocked a time of 36min 54sec, a notable showing within two minutes of the winner, Ryan Holroyd, of Stoke AC.

Fiona Pengelly produced a great run of 46.43 for eighth place in the women’s race, and she was closely followed at the line by Jonathan Kershaw with 46.51 and Nick Hudson 47.52.

In the Hampshire road race league’s windswept 10mile fixture at Ryde on the Isle of Wight, which also features some notable long climbs, Mike White was quickest of a depleted Salisbury club contingent.

His time of 71min 41sec placed him well up the field, and he was followed by Phil Perry with 82.17, the improving Ali Restall with 84.08, Liz Roberts 84.19, Jane Whiteley 90.15, Andy Robbins 93.31 and Colin Martin 118.55.

The Hampshire cross country league series closes on Saturday and in a neck-and-neck finish at the top of men’s division three, club officials have appealed to Salisbury runners to turn out in numbers to help secure promotion.

Without a good performance in the final fixture south of Marchwood to back up their current second position in the table, they could be pipped by Ryde Harriers for a keenly sought-after promotion to the second division next season.