HAVING successfully defended their men's and women's titles in the 48-mile Test Way Relay, Southampton Running Club turn their attention to the more serious business of the South of England Road Relay Championships at Aldershot this weekend.

Next Saturday the men's teams will compete against 150 other southern clubs vying to land a top-20 position and go forward to the national championships next month.

SRC's men have established a strong record in this event over the last ten years, but are now rebuilding. They will be without the services of past team stalwarts Rod Finch and Mike Twomey, who are both recovering from long-term injury, while Ian Robertson is away on honeymoon.

Leading teams in the senior men's 6x6K leg challenge are likely to be big city outfits such as Belgrave Harriers, Windsor Slough, Eton & Hounslow plus Shaftesbury Barnet.

The relays also provide an opportunity for the veterans to compete in their own over-40 and over-50 age-groups, running four legs of the 6K course.

On Sunday, SRC's women will be looking to improve on last season's 27th position in the southern championships.

This is only the third year of Southampton's ladies competing at these relays and they are fast building a base to compare with the men. They race over four legs on a similar circuit to the men, but 4.6 kilometres long.

Like the men, the women will be fielding several runners making their debut at this level and harbouring ambitions of national qualification.

The likely front-runners in the women's event are Bedford, Windsor and Shaftesbury Barnet.