Defending their five-year hold on the First Division Surrey Cross Country League championship title, South London Harriers' senior women started the new season strongly with an impressive victory at Wimbledon Common last Saturday.

Team captain Pippa Major (sixth in 23:46) was the first of South London's five scorers to cross the finish line, with determined back-up given by Viv Mitchell, Eleanor Baker, Alison Mackenzie and Ruth Hutton.

At Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, in their opening match of the Leagues' First Division, South London's senior men, who were missing a few of their regular stars, did not fare so well despite Stuart Major's third place.

Before the men's race the boys ran a single 2.5 mile lap.

South London's under-15/under-17 boy's team were victorious while in the younger age group, Peter Humphreys, last year's under-13 Surrey League Champion picked up where he left off by winning his race in 14:26. James Johnson was third in 16:19.