Ranelagh Harriers' outstanding 20-year-old Sam Perkins made a welcome return from an injury-hit year to take second place in the Elmbridge 10km on Sunday.

The race starts beside the Thames at Walton and the one-lap course is part road and part tow-path.

From the gun, Perkins was battling for the lead with Belgrave Harriers' experienced former Ethiopian Kassa Tadesse.

There was never more than a few metres between them but it was Tadesse's experience which told in the end and he crossed the line just 5m metres clear of Perkins in a time of 32:19.

Sam was disappointed not to take the victory but this was his first ever 10km race and he was happy enough with his 32:21.

Paul "Popeye" Doyle was Ranelagh's next finisher in 11th place but he won the first prize in the over 40s category.

Paul's 34:24 brought him home one place and three seconds clear of Richard Gregory, while fourth man in for the club in 48th place on 36:49 was another returner from injury, Nathan Mills.

Further back Iain Wilson took third place in the over-50s category with a time of 38:38, while even further back Ranelagh's former president John Hanscomb was 2nd over 70 to finish in 58:24.

Ranelagh's leading woman was Kath Phillips, 179th overall (14th woman) in 42:55 and she was followed by Carola Richter, 222nd in 44:37, and Heather Martingell, 303rd in 47:17.

Cross-country running is an activity usually associated with cold winter days and rain and mud.

But conditions could hardly have been more different for Ranelagh Harriers' annual summer five-mile cross-country handicap race in Richmond Park on Tuesday.

The Park was baked hard and even at the 7pm start the sun was still fierce. Nearly 70 club members took part with ages ranging from 15 to well over 70.

First starter was 71 year-old Pat Hewlett and for a long time it looked as if she might hang on to win the trophy.

In the last half mile she was caught by junior Stacey Barber but Stacey was competing as a guest so it was still Pat in the lead for the Cup.

But it couldn't last - with only a couple of hundred metres to run David Rowntree went past and then right on the line a fast finishing Bob Beatson caught her too.

Pat held on for the bronze medal in a time of 55:44, Beatson took silver with 34:42 and the gold - plus the Coad Cup - went to the club's Treasurer David Rowntree with a time of 49:51.

Fastest men on the day were Darryl McDonald with 27:40, Pat Wright on 28:42 and Howard Gleave on 29:54. Best women were Marie Synnott-Wells on 32:49, Kath Phillips on 34:41 and Sandra Prosser on 35:44.