Phoenix triumphed in the Hastings road relays, which this year were held at Bexhill.

On the first leg Daniel Wicks, from Hastings, came through strongly to put the promoting club in pole position before handing over to Mark Barham, who is still eligible to compete in the under-17 age group.

Barham was unable to prevent Aldershot taking the initiative while Kurt Hoyte, who took over from Dave Carter in fourth place, also came storming through for the Phoenix team and moved up to second place, although well adrift of the Aldershot squad.

Phoenix were using the race to finalise their team for next weekend's South of England Championship at Aldershot and a great run from Darryl Hards on the third leg should ensure he gets a place in the A squad.

Hards gradually pegged back the Aldershot runner and steamed into the lead just 200m from the hand over point to clock 15min.47sec, the fourth fastest lap of the day.

Tom Naylor lost the lead early in the fourth leg but did not let his rival get clear and before halfway had re-established himself at the head of the field before stretching the advantage to more than 100m as he clocked the fastest lap of the day in15min. 20sec.

Over the final circuit, Neil Boniface had a lonely run keeping well ahead of his pursuers to cross the finishing line nearly 100m clear of Aldershot. Hastings took the bronze medal some three minutes further back.

A brilliant third leg from Paul Rodgers, who clocked the second fastest leg of the day in 15min. 32sec, helped Crawley to fourth place, a position they held until the finish.

Caroline Hoyte led the Arena 80 club, to victory in the women's race.

She is showing fine form after a quiet summer. The previous weekend she chopped nearly a minute off the course record in the Hove Promenade five-mile and her time of 7min. 22sec was a course record at Bexhill, nearly 30 seconds faster than her nearest rival.

The Horsham Blue Star team finished fourth.