James and Jane lead the Chichester charge in Hampshire League

A day before his Chichester Half Marathon exploits, Baker achieved his best placing in this league for six years with a fine fourth place in a competitive field of more than 250.

After a steady start he scythed through the field over the hilly 10k course to finish in 34min 16sec and lapped the three other Chichester runners - Tom Blaylock in 181st, Mike Moorcroft 201st and Terry Healy 228th.

In the shorter women’s 6k event Jane Harrop showed good early-season form, finishing 11th in 26.44 - third veteran across the line and comfortably a winner in the over-50 category.

Elsewhere Jo Corbett won the RNLI 10k in Southsea in 31.59. Mike Moorcroft was 43rd of the 345 finishers.

This Saturday, with James Baker away defending his Exmoor title it will be up to Corbett to lead the line for Chichester’s senior men in the first match of the Sussex Cross Country League at Goodwood.

Top veteran Chris Jack should also feature while the women’s team will field a mixture of youth and experience with veteran Harrop joined by under-20s Beth Garland and Lucy Thraves.

The senior races will be preceded by a full programme of Sussex junior races starting at 12.30pm.

And before that there will be an additional event, the inaugural under-11 primary school races for Year 5 and 6 pupils over 2,000m.

Entries can be made from 10.30am at the race HQ opposite Goodwood racecourse with the races starting at 11.30am.

More information available from Phil Baker at [email protected]