TONY FERN'S Southampton-based stable of distance runners is going from strength to strength.

Latest to join the group is accomplished road runner James Baker, pictured above, from Chichester, who is angling at a swift 5,000 metres on the track next year.

Baker's form in winning the Chichester 10k and Romsey 5k suggest he should smash his personal best this summer and go under 14 minutes for the first time.

Two of Fern's other charges, Mark Campbell and Dave Bramfoot, finished third and fourth in the Army Champion-ships and then helped The Army win the Inter-Services Championships at Plymouth.

Their reward is selection for the Uniform Championships in New Zealand where Campbell will run the 1500 metres and Bramfoot the 5000m.

Beth Harris is also in hot form, finishing fifth in the Reading Half-Marathon in a personal best time of 79 minutes and 14 seconds. She went through ten miles in 59.53, which was also a pb.

Meanwhile married bliss seems to be working for Ian and Christine Robertson.

While Ian was gaining selection for Hampshire for the Inter-County Cross-Country Championships, former netball and rowing star Christine gets better with every race and won Southampton Running Club's Cross-Country Grand Prix.

Russell Osborne set an indoor pb of 1.57 for the 800 metres, while Claire Thorne returned after a long injury lay-off to finish second in the Romsey 5k.

Andy Hennersey ran a pb for 3000m, finishing fifth in the National Indoor Championships at Birmingham's Indoor Arena.

Among all the good news, the only disappointment was 1500m ace Angus Maclean being ruled out of the European Cross-Country Championship Trials with a heavy cold.

Fern's group is jetting off for warm-weather training in Monte Gordo at the end of the month and are thrilled that top physio Peter Lindsell has offered his services to them.