THERE was blood, sweat and cheers at Manor Farm Country Park near Bursledon for the sixth round of the popular midweek RR10 Series.

The race on a tricky, twisting and undulating course over four-and-a-half miles of woodland paths and grassland was not without incident.

Race organisers had to make a late, last-minute change to the route after one of the gates on the course was locked. And then there were a couple of runners who took spills on the longest day of the year.

Among them was Team Southampton's Heather Buckingham who took a nasty tumble. She sustained cuts to her arm and a cut to the top of an old knee injury and considered pulling out of the race.

But after a few minutes of regaining her composure, Buckingham picked up the pace and in true Chariots of Fire fashion picked her way through the field to finish fourth, just ahead of teammate Louise Webb, the Hampshire under-17 800m champion who was making her RR10 debut.

It was a plucky performance from Buckingham, who was clearing suffering at the finish. With the experienced Sally Gilbert coming home in eighth, Team Southampton won the ladies team event on the evening.

Karen Rushton from Southampton Running Club was victorious in the women's race, from Winchester & District AC's Natalie Cain, and with Lordshill Road Runners' Amanda Kingsley in third.

Some 111 ladies competed in the race, and also finishing the worse for wear was Southampton Running Sisters' Tina Dempster in 102nd who crossed the line a little bloodied after a fall.

There were no such problems for Southampton Running Club's Andy Morgan-Lee, pictured. Just three days after his impressive victory at the Brading 10km race, the 36-year-old Ford worker comfortably won the men's race.

He sat with the pack for the early stages, but made his attack for the lead on a steep climb and was never headed to ensure a Southampton RC winning double.

Winchester's Julian Mann, last summer's RR10 overall champion, was second, with the New Forest Runners pairing of Chris Olden and Gareth Beech in third and fourth place.

Southampton RC's men have dominated the team standings all summer, and they did so again thanks to Morgan-Lee, Paul Fotherby (6th), Matt West (7th), Pete Davis (9th) and Jon Grainger (10th) to carve up the honours on the night.

The next round of the RR10 takes place at Itchen Valley Country Park on Wednesday, July 5.