Team Southampton's John Beattie warmed up for this weekend's Reebok Cross Challenge/European Championship Trials with a strong run in the Boscombe Pier 5k.

The Southampton University student finished second overall and first under-20 man in a personal best time of 15 minutes and 33 seconds. Clubmate Alex Wall-Clarke also ran a best-ever time of 16.29 to place 14th overall and sixth under-20.

Beattie was being joined at London's Parliament Hill Fields today by fellow Team Southampton runner Tommy Davies. Wall-Clarke, meanwhile, is off to France to compete for Hampshire in the 22nd Coutances Cross-Country International.

Next weekend Beattie will be in Belgium to run for the South of England in the Lotto Crosscup at Roeselare.