The 28th Stragglers Green Belt Relay took place on May 17-18 at Hampton Court.

In a close race the overall lead see-sawed between a mixed Thames Hare & Hounds squad and Ranelagh Harriers’ men before it was Thames who went right away in the closing stages, with Ranelagh taking the women’s competition.

James Hoad posted Thames' intentions on the opening stage with a victory before also bringing them home on the final leg on day two.

The second stage saw Thames Valley’s Tracy Barlow turn out for Clapham Chasers women’s squad and was quickest overall for the 9.42-miles from Staines to Boveney.

After four stages and at Great Kingshill, Thames squad had won two stages following Hoad’s first and Pat Roddy’s third and led narrowly from Clapham’s men and the top two were the same after six legs.

At the overnight stop at the Stage 11 finish at Blackmore, the lead was now held by Ranelagh Harriers’ men, some five minutes clear of Thames’ mixed outfit and came after their Peter Robbins big stage eight win at Dobbs Weir.

Ranelagh also led the women’s race at the half-way point, 50 minutes clear of VP&TH.

Day two on Sunday then began with Thames’ mixed squad initially closing to four minutes before Ranelagh’s men again stretched their lead to six minutes by the end of stage 16 to Lullingstone Park.

It was here that Clapham’s Tracy Barlow won her second stage running for the 9.4-miles, in 56:19, narrowly ahead of Thames’ Lizzie Apsley’s 57:21, the first time that two women had topped an individual stage.

Ranelagh then narrowly lost the lead on the next leg to Tatsfield, as Jared Martin opened out a few seconds with a 76:36 for the 13.1-miles before Peter Cook regained the Ranelagh advantage on the next run to Merstham.

It all changed again on Stage 18 on to Burford Bridge, Dorking, as Pat Roddy gave Thames a two-minute lead with four stages left to run and then Jacob Brockman increased it again to three minutes onwards to Ripley, with his second stage win.

Finally, James Hoad on the glory leg further increased the Thames margin to over six minutes at the line but the penultimate stage had been won by Clapham’s Charlie Mason, his third stage win of the race.

Ranelagh completed a victory in the women’s competition but Beeches Gabby Reynolds was first woman home on the final stage.

Overall (220M): 1 THH mixed 21:50:51; 2 Ranelagh Men 21:57:05; 3 Clapham Chasers Men 22:51:54

M50: 1 Ranelagh 23:59:35

Women: 1 Ranelagh 62:21:18; 2 VP&TH 63:32:32; 3 Stragglers 63:59:31

60 complete teams finished

Day 1

Stage 1 (Hampton Court to Staines, 12.70M)

Fastest: J Hoad (THH) 71:45

Women: P Warrack (Dulw R) 87:53

Stage 2 (Staines to Boveney, 9.42M)

Fastest: T Barlow (lap, W40) 57:39

Stage 3 (Boveney to Little Marlow, 11.20M)

Fastest: P Roddy (THH) 61:46

Women: N Nicholson (Elmb, W45) 63:46

Stage 4 (Little Marlow to Great Kingshill, hilly 11.80M)

Fastest: J Neville (Burg H) 73:05

M45: H Torry (Serp) 78:51

Women: S Palmer (Rane, W35) 83:37

Stage 5 (Great Kingshill to Chipperfield, hilly 13.50M)

Fastest: J Brockman (THH) 75:56

Women: L Briggs (VP&TH) 89:19

W45: S Briggs (Strag) 91:29

Stage 6 (Chipperfield to St Albans, 8.50M)

Fastest: C Mason (Clap) 47:21

Women: E Weir (THH) 53:06

Stage 7 (St Albans to Letty Green, 11.60M)

Fastest: S Walker (Wimb W) 67:14

Women: G Reynolds (Beeches, W35) 70:27

Stage 8 (Letty Green to Dobbs Weir, 10.70M)

Fastest: P Robbins (Rane) 57:34

M55: C Allen (Strag) 63:15

Women: L Apsley (THH) 61:57

Stage 9 (Dobbs Weir to High Beech, 10.20M)

Fastest: P Cook (Rane) 56:09

Women: B Murray (THH) 65:24

Stage 10 (High Beech to Toot Hill, 9.00M)

Fastest: T Salisbury (THH) 56:29

Women: R Norton-Hale (VP&TH, W45) 65:11

Stage 11 (Toot Hill to Blackmore, 7.50M)

Fastest: J Martin (THH) 41:21

M65: K Murray (Sep) 51:25

Women: H Preedy (QPH) 47:37

Day 2 (100.65M)

Stage 12 (Blackmore to Thorndon Park, 10.75M)

Fastest: E Neville (THH) 64:24

Women: S Palmer (Rane, W35) 70:03

Stage 13 (Thorndon Park to Cranham, 6.60M)

Fastest: C Mason (Clap) 35:32

M60: B Reynolds (THH) 41:44

Women: T Lenthall (Strag, W45) 44:37

Stage 14 (Thames Chase to Davy Down QE 11 Bridge, 9.0M)

Fastest: V Lio (Serp) 54:07

Women: P Disley-May (THH) 59:37

Stage 15 (Stone Lodge to Lullingstone Park, 9.40M)

Fastest: T Barlow (Clap, W40) 56:19; L Apsley (THH, W) 57:21

W45: N Hornzee (Strag) 68:08

Stage 16 (Lullingstone Park to Tatsfield, hilly 13.10M)

Fastest: J Martin (THH) 76:36

M55: C Allan (Strag) 93:10

Women: S Whatmough (Rane) 95:02

Stage 17 (Tatsfield to Merstham, 10.50M)

Fastest: P Cook (Rane) 58:05

Women: E Laffey (Wimb W) 72:19

Stage 18 (Merstham to Box Hill, hilly 9.60M)

Fastest: P Roddy (THH) 57:07

Women: M James (Beeches) 75:55

Stage 19 (Box Hill to West Hanger, 8.40M)

Fastest: C McNally (Wimb W) 52:16

Women: B Murray (THH) 60:42

Stage 20 (West Hanger to Ripley, 6.00M)

Fastest: J Brockman (THH) 29:52

M45: H Torry (Serp) 32:43

Women: L Briggs (VP&TH) 36:44

W55: 1 V Filsell (THH) 41:21

Stage 21 (Ripley to Walton Bridge, 8.40M)

Fastest: C Mason (Clap) 47:55

Women: E Weir (THH) 50:45

Stage 22 (Walton Bridge to Bushy Park Sports Centre, 7.1M)

Fastest: J Hoad (THH) 42:38

Women: G Reynolds (Beeches) 49:32