Steve Kimber (pictured number 458) continued where he left off last season by posting a convincing victory in the first round of the Oxford Mail Cross Country League at Ascott-under- Wychwood.

Competing for Headington Roadrunners, the defending overall and senior men's champion made it clear he intends to retain his crown with a commanding run on Sunday, finishing well clear of the chasing pack.

The course was in perfect condition and solid under foot, making for some fast times, Kimber crossing the line in the 8.5km race in 30mins 38secs.

Cirencester junior Chris Illman was Kimber's nearest challenger, his time of 30.50 suggesting he could be a challenger for honours in the months ahead.

But Kimber's nearest rival from last season, Tom Bradford, was more than a minute behind, finishing fifth in 31.45.

There was also an encouraging display from St Edward's School's Ed Womersley, who made the step up to the senior men's race by finishing seventh in 32.02 - second in the junior men's category behind Illman.

Ominously for the other title hopefuls in the team competition, Headington's combined men's team posted a very convincing victory, with all seven of their points-scoring athletes finishing inside the top 40.

As well as Kimber's dominance, Chris Riley (third in 31.20) and Chris Dettmar (tenth in 32.10) both finished in the top ten as Headington won the opening round by a huge margin of 63 points, and already look in good shape to defend their crown.

The women's race went the way of Cirencester veteran Wendy Jones, who looks as strong as ever in defence of her overall women's title.

She led from gun to tape as she cruised home in 17mins 51secs.

White Horse Harrier Frances Briscoe began her senior women's title defence in style, finishing second overall and first in the senior women's race in 18.21.

With Jones's teammate Ellen Leggate finishing third in 18.57, Cirencester edged out Team Kennet for the team prize.

In the junior races, Rhys Glastonbury (Radley) was victorious in the combined under 15/17 boys' race, clocking 17.07.

He comfortably saw off the challenge of White Horse Harrier Robert Bowles and Abingdon Amblers' Steve Copley.

Radley's A team picked up a comprehensive first-round victory, with Phillipe Manning and George Miller making up their successful trio.

Harry Robertson edged out his Oxford City teammate Nicolas Bridle in the under 13 boys' race, dipping under seven minutes to win by three seconds.

Team Kennet were the first team winners in this age group, seeing off Radley by five points.

In the under 11 boys' race, Goring & Wallingford's George Axon came home first in 3.31.

Banbury Harriers' Connie MacMillan was the winner of the combined under 13/15 race in 7.18 in the absence of Oxford City's Melissa Hawtin.

Oxford City trio Danielle Anderson, Lauren Hawtin and Amy Chivers finished second, third and fourth to secure the team honours.

LEADING INDIVIDUAL RESULTS Senior men (top 50): 1 S Kimber (Headington RR) 30.38, 2 C Illman (Cirencester, U20) 30.50, 3 C Riley (Headington RR) 31.20, 4 P Gonzalez-Diaz (Cirencester) 31.42, 5 T Bradford (Hook Norton) 31.45, 6 S McGuigan (WHH) 31.50, 7 E Womersley (St Edward's School, U20) 32.02, 8 T Munt (Team Kennet, V40) 32.03, 9 C Dettmar (Headington RR) 32.10, 10 A Chetwynd (Headington RR) 32.10, 11 P Fernandez (Abingdon) 32.20, 12 B Gardner (Swindon H, V50) 32.25, 13 R Hailey (Hook Norton, V50) 32.38, 14 J Norris (Cirencester, U20) 32.44, 15 T Wright (Banbury H) 32.52, 16 P Hails (Witney RR) 32.59, 17 V Zverev (Headington RR, V40) 33.01, 18 A Fisher (Swindon H, V50) 33.13, 19 J Atyeo (Witney RR) 33.16, 20 S Mead (Woodstock H, V40) 33.19, 21 M Baillie (Witney RR) 33.32, 22 M Richards (Headington RR, V40) 33.38, 23 A Tilsley (Hook Norton) 33.53, 24 D Tame (Hook Norton) 33.55, 25 P Key (Swindon H) 33.57, 26 M Hammersley (Abingdon) 34.07, 27 A Bickerstaff (Cirencester, V40) 34.08, 28 B O'Connor (Woodstock H) 34.10, 29 T Dixon (Oxford C, V40) 34.17, 30 A Williams (Cirencester) 34.18, 31 J Barry (Woodstock H) 34.18, 32 B Leggate (Cirencester) 34.24, 33 S Shilston (WHH, V40) 34.32, 34 W Lillis (Newbury) 34.36, 35 R Grant (Oxford C, V50) 34.47, 36 L McNeil (Headington RR) 34.52, 37 P Jegou (WHH) 34.58, 38 T Hunn (Woodstock H) 35.01, 39 M Shepherd (Team Kennet) 35.05, 40 P Clack (Witney RR, V40) 35.10, 41 A Scott (Witney RR) 35.13, 42 H van-Zyl (Abingdon, V40) 35.18, 43 J Bolton (Woodstock H) 35.19, 44 P Huxley (Witney RR, V40) 35.21, 45 D Ridley (Witney RR, U20) 35.23, 46 L Boden (Witney RR, V40) 35.27, 47 M Hill (Eynsham RR, V40) 35.28, 48 G Petts (Witney RR) 35.52, 49 K Adams (Woodstock H) 35.32, 50 M Coffey (Oxford C, U20) 35.33.

Senior women (top 30): 1 W Jones (Cirencester, LV35) 17.51, 2 F Briscoe (WHH) 18.21, 3 E Leggate (Cirencester) 18.57, 4 N Griffith (Headington RR) 19.51, 5 N Gomm (Witney RR, LV35) 20.06, 6 R Kelling (Banbury, LV35) 20.19, 7 S Crumly (Newbury, U17) 20.31, 8 H Preedy (Team Kennet) 21.04, 9 E Connolly (Swindon, U17) 21.11, 10 H Barnes (Headington RR) 21.26, 11 S Davies (Oxford C) 21.28, 12 R Elliot (Alchester) 21.31, 13 S Edwards (Team Kennet, LV35) 21.34, 14 L Gottwald (Abingdon) 21.36, 15 H Chaundy (Oxford C, U20) 21.41, 16 M Buzzard (Banbury H, LV35) 21.47, 17 C Coxhead (Newbury, U20) 21.49, 18 J Parker (Swindon) 21.51, 19 G Hueter (Oxford C, LV45) 21.58, 20 N Cogdell (Team Kennet, U17) 22.12, 21 S Fowler (Newbury, LV45) 22.22, 22 F Walker (Newbury) 22.24, 23 M Mason (Newbury, U17) 22.26, 24 L Dower (Alchester) 22.51, 25 J Gibson (Woodstock H) 22.54, 26 S Pitts (Witney RR, LV45) 23.03, 27 S Zarutsky (OUP, LV35) 23.09, 28 C Murphy-Hand (Abingdon, LV35) 23.10, 29 S Sheppard (Woodstock H) 23.15, 30 B Hall (Newbury, LV35) 23.20.

Under 15/17 boys (top ten, under 17 unless stated): 1 R Glastonbury (Radley) 17.07, 2 R Bowles (WHH) 17.24, 3 S Copley (Abingdon) 17.50, 4 M Bridger-Wilkins (Newbury, U15) 17.55, 5 J Bibbings (St Edward's Sch) 18.09, 6 P Manning (Radley, U15) 18.10, 7 G Miller (Radley, U15) 18.17, 8 S Tucker (Team Kennet) 18.39, 9 T Millburn (Team Kennet, U15) 18.43, 10 F Slemeck (St Edward's Sch) 18.49.

Under 13 boys (top ten): 1 H Robertson (Oxford C) 6.57, 2 N Bridle (Oxford C) 7.00, 3 M Randall (Team Kennet) 7.03, 4 O Simmons (Banbury H) 7.11, 5 A Duff (Radley) 7.17, 6 S Jones (Witney RR) 7.20, 7 E O'Hara (Radley) 7.30, 8 A Nicholls (Team Kennet) 7.31, 9 D Stainthorp (Abingdon) 7.34, 10 J Savage (Team Kennet) 7.36.

Under 11 boys (top ten): 1 G Axon (Goring) 3.31, 2 M Marshall (Oxford C) 3.32, 3 J Tack (Oxford C) 3.33, 4 W Tyson (Newbury) 3.45, 5 C Wassell (Cirencester) 3.50, 6 L Wassell (Cirencester) 3.56, 7 J Lynch (Goring) 4.00, 8 L Grieveson (Banbury H) 4.01, 9 O Huxley (Witney RR) 4.02, 10 L Kelling (Banbury H) 4.04.

Under 13/15 girls (top ten, under 15 unless stated): 1 C MacMillan (Banbury H, U13) 7.18, 2 D Anderson (Oxford C) 7.22, 3 L Hawtin (Oxford C, U13) 7.33, 4 A Chivers (Oxford C) 7.37, 5 J Walker (Oxford C, U13) 7.40, 6 K Pontin (Team Kennet) 7.53, 7 S Cookson (Team Kennet) 7.57, 8 R Jackson (Radley) 7.58, 9 S Fowler (Newbury, U13) 8.03, 10 J Sutherland (Radley) 8.05.

Under 11 girls (top ten): 1 S Elkirate (Oxford C) 3.41, 2 B Hawtin (Oxford C) 3.44, 3 I van Zyl (Oxford C) 3.58, 4 F Loake (Oxford C) 4.01, 5 M Longhurst (Team Kennet) 4.05, 6 T Pritchard (Goring) 4.06, 7 E Clark (Oxford C) 4.09, 8 B Stanley (Witney RR) 4.10, 9 S van Huysteen (Newbury) 4.12, 10 R Stainthorp (Abingdon) 4.14.

TEAM RESULTS Senior men - Div 1: 1 Headington RR A 98pts, 2 Cirencester A 161, 3 Witney RR A 226, 4 Woodstock H A 266, 5 Hook Norton A 348, 6 Abingdon A 354, 7 Headington RR B 475, 8 White Horse H A 779.

Div 2: 1 Witney RR B 485pts, 2 Team Kennet A 648, 3 Banbury H A 677, 4 Cirencester B 727, 5 Swindon Striders 840, 6 Headington RR C 1018, 7 Eynsham RR A 1139, 8 Cherwell A 1156.

Div 3 (top six): 1 Newbury A 508pts, 2 Oxford C A 541, 3 Swindon H 547, 4 Woodstock H B 612, 5 Alchester A 932, 6 Abingdon B 940.

Senior women - Div 1: 1 Cirencester A 37pts, 2 Team Kennet A 41, 3 Oxford C A 45, 4 Headington RR A 52, 5 Witney RR A 65, 6 Abingdon A 91, 7 Banbury H A 119, 8 White Horse H A 127.

Div 2 (top eight): 1 Newbury A 45pts, 2 Newbury B 75, 3 Swindon Striders A 101, 4 Woodstock H A 109, 5 Alchester A 113, 6 Headington RR B 128, 7 Radley A 137, 8 Swindon H A 144.

Under 15/17 boys (top eight): 1 Radley A 14pts, 2 St Edward's A 26, 3 Team Kennet A 43, 4 Witney A 58, 5 White Horse A 60, 6= Newbury A, St Edward's B 62, 8 Swindon H A 65.

Under 13 boys (top eight): 1 Team Kennet A 21pts, 2 Radley A 26, 3 Oxford C A 35, 4 Abingdon A 41, 5 Witney RR A 44, 6= Swindon H A, Team Kennet B 59, 8 Banbury H A 62.

Under 13/15 girls (top eight): 1 Oxford C A 9ts, 2 Team Kennet A 34, 3 Banbury H A 36, 4 Oxford C B 37, 5 Radley A 43, 6 Newbury A 51, 7 Witney RR A 58, 8 Abingdon A 71.