JO McGARRY battled through the mud to retain her Hampshire cross country title on Saturday.

And Jersey had another winner when Sue Le Ruez became a golden oldie for the second time as she clung to her over-50s crown on the new county course at Staunton Park, near Havant.

It was a victory which left McGarry, struggling to find her form after injury, surprised but happy.

‘I didn’t expect to win – I haven’t been running very well and the conditions were incredibly tough, it was so muddy.

Maybe it was the occasion but I was in the lead from the start and after the first lap I started to think maybe I could win,’ she said.

Meanwhile John Coote, running in the Hampshire for the first time – and that as a veteran after celebrating his 40th birthday last week – finished third.

And Amanda Brown was second in the women’s over-35 group.

Among the juniors Felicity Johnson-Deely won a place in the Hampshire side at the inter-counties championship in March by finishing sixth in the girls’ Under-13 race.

Eliott Dorey, in the Under 13s and Toby Edwards at Under-17, both narrowly missed automatic county selection but are among the reserves – and both have another year in their age groups.