Oxfordshire duo Steve Naylor and Melissa Hawtin won the opening round of the Apex Chiltern Cross-Country League at Shotover.

Despite parts of the 9km course resembling a mud bath, Naylor, from Woodstock but running for Bedford, defied the conditions to claim a 17-second victory.

And Oxford City athlete Hawtin, despite running an age group up, recorded a 28-second win in the ladies’ race.

Naylor surged ahead of Luton athlete John McDonnell on the second ascent and crossed the line in 29mins 46secs, Alex Tovey taking second in 30.03.

Naylor now heads for the National Cross-Country Relays in a fortnight.

Hawtin, meanwhile, produced a superb display and never looked in any trouble as she comfortably held off Jo Wilkinson, of Bedford, for a convincing win.

Headington Road Runners made a great start in their defence of the veteran’s men Division 1 team title.

Mark Richards was the first V50 man home as Headington’s team went straight to the top of the standings.

Headington’s women were also back to winning form, their veterans’ team in first place, and senior women 3rd. Oxford City entered a strong contingent in the junior races, with their under 11 boys sitting second in the team event.

OTHER LOCAL RESULTS

CHILTERN CROSS-COUNTY LEAGUE

Division 1

Headington Road Runners Men: 39 T Doole 34.39, 52 M Richards (1st V50) 35.47, 63 D Gavaghan (V40) 36.32, 67 F Campbell (V40) 36.51, 73 R Skilbeck 37.23, 80 M Dunmore 37.56, 81 A Phelps (V50) 38.01, 93 P Wrighton-Smith 38.52, 95 J Griffiths (V50) 38.57, 96 C Payne (V40) 38.58, 97 R Thetford (V50) 39.01, 106 A Darbyshire (V40) 39.33, 109 C Prince (V40) 39.45, 114 T Proctor-Legg 39.53, 115 J Turner 39.59, 119 L Hurman (V50) 40.18, 121 K Lowies (V40) 40.24, 126 P Oxley 40.59, 140 C Slator (V50) 42.07, 152 M Biglin (V50) 43.14, 173 M Herd (V40) 46.58, 181 S Proctor 47.53, 189 H Nickau (M40) 51.04, 191 J Clargo (M40) 52.17 Women: 11 J Craft (3rd V35) 24.03, 15 L Barker 25.32, 21 A Hopkins (F35) 25.49, 25 C Abesser (F35) 26.22, 26 R Shaw (F35) 26.38, 35 A James (F45) 28.34, 41 S Farrow (F45) 29.00, 44 A Barry (F45) 29.26, 57 C Coles 31.47, 64 R Cameron (F45) 34.41, 71 C Moorman (F45) 39.01 Girls – Under 17: 33 B Meadowcroft 29.22.

Oxford Men: 24 S Male (V40) 32.46, 80 R Meredith 36.43, 81 B O'Dowd 36.46, 102 S Thorp (V60) 38.06, 116 S Winter (V40) 39.05, 120 R Grant (V50) 39.10, 137 P Huxley (V50) 40.09, 162 J Exley (V60) 42.10, 163 A Matthews (V60) 42.16, 164 D Wheeler (V50) 42.19, 166 H Chitsenga (V40) 42.36, 169 R Treadwell (V60) 42.42, 171 P Marshall (V40) 42.57, 206 C Rutland (V60) 48.16.

Ladies: 1 M Hawtin 22.14, 8 L Napier 23.40, 22 M Lloyd 25.31.

Boys – Under 17: 17 M Marshall 21.11, 49 O Huxley 27.33. Under 13: 32 F Sunderland 12.04, 33 M Crowther 12.05, 51 F Bell 13.12. Under 11: 6 B Rodriquez 8.14, 8 J Richardson 8.21, 15 J Sunderland 8.34, 33 H Bell 8.58, 50 J Judson 9.40, 54 A Bosley 9.45.

Girls – Under 17: 9 L Hawtin 23.46, 14 J Wal-ker 24.25. Under 15: 4 S Sunderland 17.05, 5 M Humphreys 17.08, 20 E Evans 18.37, 29 M Wilson 19.04, 31 I Rodriquez 19.08, 33 C Huxley 19.15, 47 J Upjohn 20.13, 54 G Moss 20.31. Under 13: 12 C Ridewood 12.28, 23 A Morris 13.03, 28 J O’Conner 13.07, 61 N Barron 14.53, 71 A Richardson 15.51. Under 11: 26 A Scrivener 9.31, 31 H Bell 9.43, 44 S Clargo 10.06, 47 J Blake 10.11, 50 D Palmer 10.16, 54 J Walter 10.26, 55 A Prince 10.26.

Oxford Brookes University Men: 12 J Entwistle 31.39.

Ladies: 20 C Dulloghan 25.08.

Oxford University Men: 4 J Wiebel 30.49, 10 A Speake 31.29, 13 W Mycroft 31.43, 26 L Mulroy 32.55, 27 O Langford 32.56, 33 H Tabor 33.27, 39 M Zeller 33.51, 42 C Phillips-Hart 34.09, 48 H Williams 34.34, 53 T Brookes 34.48, 56 O Starkey 35.00, 63 G Cotugno 35.38, 68 A Burrton 35.55, 86 A Klein 36.59, 88 A Fraser 37.11, 94 J Evans 37.39, 133 A Stevenson 39.55, 157 T Capper 42.02, 165 T Carruthers 42.21, 176 A Norkiewicz 43.47.

Ladies: 13 D Davis 24.26, 14 S Salter 24.30, 15 N Webber 24.35, 16 K Hickson 24.46, 17 M Raboe 24.46, 31 M McHugh 26.05, 35 R Oram 26.26, 40 C Easby 27.34, 64 R Boswell 30.57.

Division 2 Abingdon Amblers: Girls – Under 11: 8 B Darwen. Under 15: 13 F Bunn. Team: 7th. Boys – Under 11: 27 K Francis. Under 13: 22 N Wiltshire. Under 15: 16 M Fabes.

OTHER RESULTS Amsterdam Marathon Witney RR: A Church (V45) 3.48.16, J Whelan (V50) 4.02.54, H Smith (VW45) 3.54.17.

TUI MARATHON PALMA DE MALLORCA Didcot Runners: P Griffiths (VM45) 3.40.27.

stroud half marathon Kidlington: S Morton (VL35) 1.41.01 (pb), M Collins (V60) 2.00.00.

SHOCK ABSORBER WOMEN ONLY 10K Didcot Runners: K Reade (LV40) 44.46.

Oxford Park Run Witney RR: J Godwood (JW15-19) 18.54, A Maybrey (VW35) 29.22, F Tate (VW45) 31.16, Z Banfield (VW30) 37.09.

ABINGDON PARKRUN Didcot Runners: M Deering 19mins 8secs (pb), M Suggate (SM) 19.55, S Cousins (LV35) 23.51, D Mason (LV35) 24.11, A Wakatsuki (LV35) 25.05, G Jackson (V80) 30.44.

Abingdon Amblers: K Dixon (V40) 21.26.16 (pb).