A NOVEL way of stacking the prize-winning odds in its favour has been unearthed by one of the area's running clubs - just supply one-sixth of the entire race field.

Of course it helps to have quality as well as quantity and that's what Poole Runners did in the annual Littledown five mile road race with 46 members tackling the course.

The club achieved a grand slam of the team prizes scooping the men's and women's titles and a number of individual awards.

It was three to count for the team prizes, but the club's strength in-depth ensured it also bagged the corresponding five-to-count Dorset Road Race League competition.

A total of 306 finishers gave the Littledown Harriers-organised event a record entry as the runners streamed away from the Littledown leisure centre onto nearby estate roads.

At the sharp end nobody could dislodge the Wells City Harriers' duo Andrew Hennessy and Carl Morris as they ran away from the field in 25 minutes two seconds and 25:20 respectively.

Morris counting as a second claim runner for Poole AC in the road race league.

The top two were pursued by England international vet Mark Hargreaves (Bournemouth AC), who in turn kept ahead of Poole Runners' leading runner Mike Grist, the pair first and second vet-40s.

Mike's son Peter was sixth and teenager Matthew Clark ninth as Poole Runners won the team event.

Clark also collected the first junior prize ahead of team-mate Dan Cheney who was 14th overall.

Poole AC's Andy Clements was third vet-40, while the over-50 category was won by Poole Runner Chris Guerrier with team-mate Dave Cartwright runner-up.

Barry Mitchell from the same club was runner-up in the M60 race.

The women's race turned out to be a close affair as Christine Thomas (Poole Runners) was tracked all the way by Christina Squire before opening daylight in the final mile to win in 30:31 from Squire's 30:51.

Denise Mellor (JP Morgan) followed close behind in 30:55.

Another Poole Runners' duo, Yvonne Tibble and Janice Palmer, took first and second in the veteran-45 category as they also completed the club's winning team behind Thomas.

Poole Runners' impressive day of prize collecting was completed with Vicki Ingham, 17, securing the junior women's trophy and Miriam Gray runner-up in the vet-55 category.

Results, Littledown Five, Men: 1 Andrew Hennessy (Wells City Harriers) 25:02, 2 Carl Morris (Wells) 25:20, 3 Mark Hargreaves (Bournemouth AC) (1st M40) 26:25.

Women: 1 Christine Thomas (Poole Runners) (1st F35) 30:31, 2 Christina Squire 30:51, 3 Denise Mellor (JP Morgan) 30:55.

Poole Runners: 4 Mike Grist (2nd M40) 26:45, 6 Peter Grist 26:56, 9 Matthew Clark (1st junior) 27:51, 14 Dan Cheney (2nd junior) 28:45, 16 Jim Aylmore 28:45, 22 Chris Guerrier (1st M50) 29:13, 24 Dave Cartwright (2nd M50) 29:19, 27 Andrew Johns 29:27, 28 John Towner 29:28, 29 Ian Barnes 29:31, 33 Dave Penwarden 30:07, 38 Christine Thomas (1st woman) 30:31, 46 Scott Neil 30:52, 50 Mike Best 31:04, 51 Chris Lee 31:18, 59 Graham Moyse 31:58, 61 Jason Clark 32:05, 70 Yvonne Tibble (1st F45) 32.44, 75 Janice Palmer (2nd F45) 32:58, 86 Vicki Ingham (1st female junior) 33:42, 100 Barry Mitchell (2nd M60) 34:40, 108 Trina Lindop 35:07, 109 Steve Daish 35:11, 118 Howard Lewis 36:04, 119 Mark Kennedy 36:07, 124 Robert Frampton 36:27, 126 Brian Panton 36:38, 130 Mike Towner 37:00, 138 Tim Wheatley 37:47, 139 Hannah Towner 37:50, 149 Mel Brooks 38:21, 150 Janet Damen 38:28, 155 Jim Moore 38:45, 169 Helen Ambrosen 39:42, 170 Dorothea Russell 39:42, 179 Steve Wardman 40:42, 182 Helen Guerrier 41:14, 190 Miriam Gray (2nd F55) 41:45, 194 Ginny Palmer 42:01, 195 Heather Nethercott 42:02, 200 Marion Frampton 42:35, 204 Carole Ingham 42:40, 235 Jane Feather 45:49, 245 Anne Towner 46:45, 253 Sue Goodship 47:13, 270 Rachel Horseman 49:47.

Poole AC: 5 Peter Damon 26:51, 7 Andy Clements (3rd M40) 27:37, 26 Lloyd Palmer 29:24, 32 Ian Todd 30:02, 34 Roy Carr 30:14, 41 David Money 30:39, 55 Darren Moore 31:41, 56 Pete Grounds 31:45, 67 Rodger Manning 32:36, 76 Alexander Crane 33:09, 96 Corrina Stevens 34:07, Peter Mattacks 34:08, 98 Wayne Owen 34:09, 111 Lesley Ujvari 35:23, 143 Michael Bayne 37:57, 152 Lynnette Etheridge 38:38, 188 Mark Gallagher 41:36.

Lytchett Manor Striders: 15 Peter Rabjohns 28:45, 21 Russ Conway 29:09, 48 Martin Greenslade 30:56, 53 Robert Burns 31:24, 54 Mark Dornan 31:30, 57 Tony Peach 31:47, 58 Stephen Littlecott 31:55, 90 David Whiddon 33:48, 105 Brian Sanderson 35:01, 128 Andrew McManus 36:44, 129 Bill Oakley 36:51, 140 Kate Conway 37:52, 141 Robin Dickens 37:53, 156 Lisa Conway 38:52, 167 Geoff Dovey 39:38, 180 Penny Ettling 40:58, 189 David Rabjohns 41:42, 206 Liz Hull 42:43, 218 Catherine Shelley 44:03, 234 Caroline Bryant 45:38, 244 Amanda Smart 46:41, 268 Sara Jaques 49:25, 275 Julie Jobling 50:22.

Bournemouth AC: 3 Mark Hargreaves (1st M40) 26:25, 10 Rob McTaggart 28:06, 12 Ian White 28:29, 17 Tony Chutter 28:52, 19 Ray McIllmurray 28:57, 82 David Parsons 33:33, 83 Dan Price 33:34, 94 Malcolm Field 34:01, 114 Niall Walkden 35:47, 121 Phil Stanley-Watts 36:12.

Littledown Harriers: 35 Steve Cox 30:20, 79 Tim Fairbrother 33:20, 81 Heather Khoshnevis 33:25, 85 Janie Pearce 33:37, 127 Pauline Woods 36:40, 251 David Barwick 47:04, 260 Michael White 47:39.

Eight junior teams representing Broadstone-based Poole Runners took part in the Southern Road Relays at Aldershot.

It was the under-13 boys who secured the highest finish as they took 10th place with Paul Green and Jack Partridge the equal fastest leg runners.

Not to be outshone the under-13 girls also impressed with 12th as Nicole Bissett ran the 18th fastest 2.3km leg of the day in eight minutes 55 seconds.

Results, South of England Road Relay Championships at Aldershot, local teams with selected individual times, Senior Women (3.8km): 41 Poole AC 79:43.

Under-17 Women (3km): 17 Bournemouth AC 36:21 (Kelly-Ann Steel 11:30, Polly Mosley 12:30, Heidi Burton 12:21), 29 Poole Runners 38:57 (Lauren Webb 12:42, Stephanie Newbury 12:28, Hayley Crawford 13:47).

Under-15 Girls (3km): 19 Poole AC 36:40 (Becky Neal 11:52, Vicky Grey 13:23, Harriett Hughes 11:25), 28 Poole Runners 37:29 (Emma Partridge 12:18, Charlotte Ingham 12:48, Zoe Lamb 12:23), 37 Bournemouth AC B 38:42 (Danielle Cocking 11:47, Hannah Stammas 11:29), 46 Bournemouth AC A 40:06 (Emma Johnson 13:23, Chloe Dowson 12:36), 47 Poole Runners B 40:13 (Rebekah Ferenczy 13:39, Lauren Heppell 13:24, Rachael Cheney 13:20).

Under-13 Girls (2.3km): 12 Poole Runners 27:40 (Nicole Bissett 8:55, Alex Ingham 9:26, Rebecca Newbury 9:19), 27 Poole AC 29:13 (Claire Rafferty 10:24, Sophie Notley 9:30, Rebecca Cutts 9:19), 47 Poole Runners B 32:14 (Jemma Jackson 10:02, Gemma Cross 10:03), 52 Poole AC B 34:22 (Nicole Freshwater 10:35, Danielle Malcolm 10:26).

Senior Men (5.9km): 33 Bournemouth AC (Chris Parr 20:55, Colin McCourt 18:14, Mike Hammacott 20:58, Phil Allen 23:35, Rob McTaggart 20:22, Mike Hoey 20:30) 2:04:34.

Over-40 Men (5.9km): 17 Bournemouth AC 95:12 (Nick Kenchington 21:44, Paul Brown 23:17, Mike Farrell 23:14, Mike Jordan 26:57).

Over-50 Men (5.9km): 17 Hamworthy Harriers 98:29 (Mike Witts 21:51, Gerard Lissenburg 24:12, John McClelland 24:52, Terry Haughey 25:20).

Under-17 Men (3.8km): 23 Bournemouth AC 45:25 (Ben Wiliams 14:36), extra runners Chris Wilson 12:54, David Russell 13:17, Andrew Smith 14:05 (all PAC).

Under-15 Boy's (3km): 14 Poole Runners 42:35 (Torsten Chandler 10:19, Harvey Jones 10:20, Ryan Trew 10:49, James Coates 11:07), 32 Poole Runners B 48:26 (Joe Astley 11:56, Shane Munford 11:55), extra runner Stuart Parfett (PR) 11:33.

Under-13 Boy's (3km): 7 Bournemouth AC 45:25 (Connor Mugan 11:21, Andy Welch 11:27, Matt Underwood 12:04, Tomas Moore 10:33), 10 Poole Runners 46:04 (Paul Green 11:21, Leif Chandler 11:55, Jack Partridge 11:21, Robert Ineson 11:27), 13 Poole AC (George Atkins 11:31, Nathan Easthope 11:53, Daniel Biles 11:45, Joe Hopkins 11:21), extra runner Tom Hutton (PR) 11:40.

Poole Runners' results, U13 girls (2.3km): A-team (12th) Nicole Bissett 8:55, Alexandra Ingham 9:26, Rebecca Newbury 9:19. B-team (47th) Jemma Jackson 10:02, Gemma Cross 10:03, Lizzie Ferenczy 12:09.

U13 boys (3km): A-team (10th) Paul Green 11:21, Leif Chandler 11:55, Jack Partridge 11:21, Robert Ineson 11:27. B-team (incomplete) Connor Ozanne 13:37, Tom Hutton 11:40.

U15 girls (3km): A-team (28th) Emma Partridge 12:18, Charlotte Ingham 12:48, Zoe Lamb 12:23. B-team (47th) Rebekah Ferenczy 13:39, Michelle Smart 13:24, Rachael Cheney 13:10.

U15 boys (3km): A-team (14th) Torsten Chandler 10:19, Harvey Jones 10:20, Ryan Trew 10:49, James Coates 11:07. B-team (32nd) Joe Astley 11:56, Jack Ferns 12:32, Shane Munford 11:55, Bradley Marsh 12:03. C-team (incomplete) Stuart Parfett 11.33.

U17 women (3km): A-team (29th) Lauren Webb 12:42, Steph Newbury 12:28, Hayley Crawford 13:47.

U17 men (3.8km): James Ozanne 15:53, Aidan Fairhall 15:55.

Nic Phillips has been busy competing in multi-discipline events at Exeter.

The Poole Runners' athlete finished eighth in an English Schools' combined event octathalon for intermediate boy's scoring 4,731 points.

Then he followed that up with first place in a decathlon for under-17s at the weekend where he amassed 5,372 points despite having three no-scores on the pole vault.

His other results were; 100m (11.7), long jump (5.47m), shot putt (13.80m pb), high jump (1.73m), 400m (53.7), 100m hurdles (14.8), discus (34.5m pb), javelin (38.33) and 1,500m (4:45.5).

Also competing at Exeter was team-mate Jonathan Boyle in the under-17 octathlon event where he was second with 3,780 points.