ALL roads led to Bramley for 1,500 long-distance running enthusiasts yesterday as they descended on the quiet north Hampshire lanes to race over 10 and 20 miles.

Freezing conditions, ahead of possible snow forecast for the start of the week, didn't put off the runners, who travelled from all over the country to participate in the annual event organised by Reading Roadrunners.

Although local runners seemed few and far between, clubs from around the southern region - including Reading, Alton, Aldershot and Eastleigh - enjoyed good representation.

The race got under way at 10.30am with men and women of all ages wrapped up to deal with the chilly wind.

But, if the conditions affected preparations, they didn't affect the quality of times - particularly in the 20-mile race, which was won in a record 1hr 44min 12sec by John McFarlane, of Thames Hare and Hounds.

Race officials confirmed McFarlane had bettered the previous best, set last year, by more than half a minute.

The delighted 31-year-old medical student at St George's in London, said: "I am friends with Hugh Lobb, who won it last year, so I had the incentive to break his record."

He added: "It was a good race. Twenty miles is a bit of an unusual distance for me to run. Other than this Bramley event, I don't do it - and I haven't run a road race since the autumn, so I didn't know what form I was in.

"It has been good training for the London Marathon."

McFarlane won by a massive 11 minutes ahead of Serpentine's Simon Barrett, who completed the 20 miles in 1:55:07.

Both received trophies at the post-match presentation, held in Bramley Primary School, and McFarlane got a bonus of a £100 cheque for setting the new record.

In the 10-mile race, Alton Runners' Toby Lambert took first prize after recording a time of 49:51, which put him ahead of Shaftesbury Barnets' Kojo Kyereme (50:23) and Central Park Track Club's Paul Stuart-Smith (56:22), who also took the male veterans prize.

Also in the 10, the Basingstoke and Mid-Hants AC trio of Mark Simcox (1:00:15), veteran Robert Halsey (1:04:44) and Simon Ellis (1:07:22) were placed 17th, 43rd and 59th respectively.

Their combined efforts saw them achieve sixth place in the team standings with a time of 3:12:21.

In the female categories, Alice Evans (Harvey Runners) won the 20-mile race in 2:10:03, while Sarah Mead (Abingdon Amblers AC) took the 10-mile in 57:18.

Reading Roadrunners chairman Glyn Jones said: "It's the fourth year running that we have filled all 1,500 places and it's always good to see such a turnout.

"The race is popular for people warming up for the Flora London Marathon and we've seen some very good times, not least John McFarlane's. It was an excellent race to set that time and new record."

Jones also revealed that the Reading club are in a position to make a donation to their nominated 2005 charity, thanks to the number who entered.

He said: "Any profit we make from the event will be going to the Chidamoyo Trust, which helps raise funds for the Chidamoyo and Makonde hospitals in north-west Zimbabwe.

"They need money to help the treatment of AIDS and HIV there. There's such an epidemic and the high mortality rate means there are many orphans who need to be cared for."