Steve Kimber continued where he left off in the winter, but had a battle to the line with Gary Harris as the 21st Mota-vation Series got under way at Charlton-on-Otmoor.

Perfect conditions attracted a record field of 358 runners, and reigning senior champion Kimber, who was running for his first-claim club, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, opened up an early lead.

Banbury Harrier Tim Riley and Reading's Simon Rance dropped off, but Headington Roadrunner Harris kept the pressure on throughout.

Defending overall champion Steve Male (Oxford City) also held on, but could make no impact on Kimber until Harris's final kick closed the gap to just five metres as they approached the finish line.

Kimber held on to win by just a second in 20mins 47secs, with Male a further four seconds adrift in third.

In the women's race, Witney Roadrunner Nikki Smith returned after a year's absence to see off Head- ington's Jude Craft, who was running in the vet 35 ladies' category for the first time.

Sophie Dawson (Kidlington) was third.

Elsewhere, Paul Gregory (Vale of Aylesbury), Roy Treadwell (Oxford City), Nicola Gomm (Witney Roadrunners) and Kate Williamson (Eynsham Roadrunners) won their respective categories.

The next race is at Bletchingdon on June 5 (7.30pm).

RESULTS

(top 20, senior men unless stated)

1 S Kimber (WSEH) 20.47, 2 G Harris (Headington RR) 20.48, 3 S Male (Oxford C, V40) 20.52, 4 S Rance (Reading) 21.24, 5 P Gregory (Vale of Aylesbury, V50) 21.32, 6 K White (Hercules) 21.44, 7 P Hails (WRR) 21.50, 8 T Wright (Banbury H) 21.56, 9 J Atyeo (Witney RR, V40) 21.58, 10 C Tucker (Cherwell) 22.04, 11 L Newell (AAAC) 22.05, 12 G Crone (unattached) 22.06, 13 O Ellis (AAAC) 22.08, 14 M Maxwell (Woodstock H) 22.15, 15 V Zverev (Headington RR, V40) 22.18, 16 J Bolton (Woodstock H) 22.22, 17 S Copley (AAAC) 22.29, 18 M Summerfield (Vale of Aylesbury) 22.30, 19 J Simmons (Banbury H, U17) 22.34, 20 J Richards (Oxford C, V40) 22.36., 21 S Pritchard (Banbury H) 22.40, 22 R Gould (Alchester) 22.50, 23 A Burgess (OCAC) 22.52, 24 P Fernandez (AAAC) 22.54, 25 C Riley (WRR) 22.55, 26 T Dixon (Oxford C, V50) 22.56, 27 C Hobday (Cherwell, V40) 23.00, 28 B Green (Oxford C, V50) 23.02, 29 J Cooke (WHH) 23.11, 30 N Smith (Witney RR, SL) 23.13, 31 C Bedford (Abingdon, V40) 23.17, 32 S Shilston (WHH, V40) 23.20, 33 J Craft (Headington RR, LV35) 23.21, 34 P Egerton (AAAC) 23.27, 35 D Shermer (Reading) 23.34, 36 E Mezzetti (OCAC) 23.36, 37 P Huxley (Oxford C, V50) 23.38, 38 C Prince (Headington RR) 23.40, 39 D Pebody (Cherwell) 23.42, 40 R Treadwell (Oxford C, V60) 23.42