THEY have been chasing each other all season, over ten arduous months, and in the end it was honours even for Andy Morgan-Lee and Mark Le Gassick!

For the first time in the event's history, two runners shared the Hampshire Road Race League title after Southampton Running Club's Morgan-Lee secured victory at the final race of the season, the Brading 10km.

Le Gassick, who runs for Stubbington Green Runners, has led the ten-race series for most of the season after victories at the Hardley Half Marathon and Alton 10.

A win on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, over a hilly course which starts and finishes from the Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde, would have handed the 33-year-old victory.

But, on a stinkingly hot day with temperatures hitting 25C, Le Gassick was forced to settle for second place behind Morgan-Lee, who won in a time of 31min 33sec to the Stubbington runner's 33:15. Winchester & District's Matt King was third in 33:46.

With the runners' best six results counting, and following Morgan-Lee's victory at Totton, it meant both runners shared the title with 665 points. Lordshill Road Runners' James Buis, who ran all ten events, was third with 584.

Southampton won the women's title outright. Karen Rushton, who didn't run at Brading, demonstrated consistency over the six races she contested to win with 612 points, from Overton Harriers' Rachel Kenchington with Denmead Striders' Karrie Blake third. Rushton won the Lordshill 10 and finished second at the Hardley Half and Alton 10.

It was a great day for Winchester, who wrapped up both the men's and women's team titles the first time the double has been achieved and with the ladies chalking up a one-two-three on the Island. Michaela McCallum led the team home in first place in 37:06, with Karen Hazliit chasing hard for second spot in 37:08. Emma Patel completed the clean sweep in 37:37.

Winchester's B team were not far behind, with Kaye Mansbridge in fourth position (38:03), Katherine Jones sixth (39:34) and Carina Cane 14th in 44.39 to ensure Winchester's women won the B Division.

Winchester's men won a hard-fought duel with Southampton Running Club to claim the A division title, thanks to Matt King's third, Julian Mann in eighth (35:32), Nick Letchworth in 16th (37:09) and Dave Kennedy 23rd in 38:31. They became league champions, just two points clear of the city club.

There was some consolation for Southampton, whose men's B team wound up as champions for the third successive year.

Highlights for the club included the performance of Paul Humphries, who ran straight after a 12-hour work shift, with no sleep for 36 hours and fiance Pascale Humphries, who ran her third personal best in eight days over the hilliest, hottest terrain that Hampshire could offer.

Tonight, the latest RR10 league race takes place at Manor Farm Country Park near Bursledon. Organised by Eastleigh Running Club and Stubbington Green Runners, it starts at 7.30pm.