Robbie spreadeagles Beacon field

Continuous rain and a chill east wind in their faces for half of the race meant conditions were not that comfortable for the men at the front, and that was just where James was.

Right from the gun James set the pace and it was not long before he shook off the attentions of the other runners for a most impressive victory in 72min 26sec, well clear of the talented James Baker from Chichester, who took second in 73.08.

Crowborough's John Lowden, who had run well at Stone Cross the previous week, had another excellent race to finish eighth overall and be the first veteran to finish in 78.00.

Geoff Gray from Seaford was just two places and 31 seconds further back.

In the women's race Hailsham's Samantha Alvarez finished fifth overall in 85.58, some two minutes down on the 28-year-old Polish runner Renata Antropik, who had flown to England to get some warmer conditions for racing!

Alvarez was the second Sussex runner home, Arena 80's Julie Briggs, the reigning county champion, clocking 84.00 for third overall position.

Following her fine run at Chichester the previous weekend Chris Naylor from Peacehaven was again the first over-50 woman to complete the course, clocking 87.15 for ninth place.

John Lowden had chalked up one of his best runs of the season when he won the fifth of this season's East Sussex Sunday League races at Cross in Hand the previous Sunday.

He placed second in the race to county under-20 champion Andrew Donno from Brighton & Hove, but Donno was running as a non-scorer, so Lowden (33.28) managed to snatch first league placing by just a second from Hastings youngster David Cooper.

Andrew Masters from Lewes also had an excellent run, finishing sixth in 36.01, a place ahead of Heathfield veteran Adrian Cornford, who clocked 36.24.

In the women's race Samantha Alvarez was a clear-cut winner in 38.29, finishing more than five minutes clear of Arena 80's Jenny Hughes, while Heathfield's Julia Jones finished fifth in 47.02.