OUTSTANDING 20-year-old Angus Maclean is giving Saturday's Hampshire Champion-ships a miss to concentrate on warm-weather training under the sunnier skies of Spain.

But although the Team Solent athlete will be sorely missed at the new Championship venue of Applemore's Dibden Enclosure, there will be a strong contingent of Southampton Running Club athletes carrying the local flag.

Aldershot-based Army man Rod Finch has a fighting chance of taking the overall title as well as leading the SRC charge in the six-to-count team competition.

Like Maclean, the 33-year-old 5,000-metre specialist has his long-term sights set on track success, and he will be using the Championships for stamina work building up to the AAA Indoor Championships at Birmingham on January 27-28.

Maclean, currently top of the Hampshire Cross-Country League senior men's standings, has a busy winter in store. Before dipping into indoor action, he will tackle the Reebok Cross Challenge in Cardiff on January 14 in preparation for February's World Cross-Country 4K Trials in Nottingham.

The Southampton University medical student recently finished 12th over 4K in Durham, but prefers to forget the European CrossCup in Brussels where he got bogged down in heavy mud over 10,500 metres and finished back in 52nd.

Neil Hotson, last year's veteran-45 winner, should be back to defend his crown at Applemore but SRC's men face hot team competition from the likes of Aldershot, Farnham & District and City of Portsmouth, who took last year's senior and veteran crowns.

Host club Hardley Runners also have a strong turn-out and clubmen Mick Anglim and Ray Noke have been working closely with race director Colin Goater to ensure the 2001 championships are a roaring success at their new Waterside home.

"Colin describes it as a 'very exciting course,' " reported championship secretary Pam Rogers. "It's quite hilly and what you'd describe as a proper cross-country course. The serious athletes don't particularly like running on parkland."

For the women, Oxford University's Megan Clark will be back to defend her title against such formidable foe as Havant international Kath Bailey, who currently sits second in the HCC League.

Entries for the championships are well over the 700-mark with more athletes expected to turn up on the day. The only disappointment is lack of numbers at under-20 leve,l where just 18 men and 17 women have entered.

"Last year it was the under-17s that didn't have many running and now the problem has moved up to the next age-group," said Rogers. "It's disappointing because there is not much competition for the under-20s but, unlike in the HCCL, we can't mix them with the seniors because Championship rules state they must have separate races over different distances."

Action begins with the under-13 boys' race at 12 noon. Car parking is at Applemore College and changing facilities are available in the recreation centre.