STRIDERS of Croydon found it tough going in the annual Reigate Priory Relay last Saturday as their men's team finished 12th and their women 14th.

Mick Turner ran the first leg for Striders' men, covering the undulating 2.5-mile course in 16 minutes 12 seconds and finishing 16th of the 31 starters.

Taylor Huggins held this position on the second leg (16:19), before Justin Macenhill gained three places with 14:48 which was Striders' fastest time of the day.

Lee Flanagan (15:06) and Bob Ewen (16:36) held 13th place before Barry White gained a place on the final leg (16:31).

Striders' B team finished 25th and comprised Chris Morton (16:56), Ryan Phillips (17:47), John Gannon (21:22), Steve Smith (19:16), Darren Piper (18:32) and John Foster (17:54).

Carmen Somerset ran the first leg for Striders' women in 20:05, finishing 18th of the 26 starters. Alice Ewen gained three places on the second leg 19:07, and Josephine Thompson brought the team home in 14th in a leg time of 18:21.

Striders' Iain Harrison ran a personal best of 2hrs 59mins 12secs in the recent New York Marathon, making him the 18th member of Striders to run the distance in under three hours.

This Saturday Striders' men and women will be at Dorking for the second match in this season's Surrey Cross-Country League.

Striders' men are currently top of Division Two, while the women are fifth.