Neil Speaight showed that he was wintered well by grabbing victory in the final few strides of the Trafford 10k. Speaight emerged from the pack and outsprinted Belgrave team mate up the final straight Mark Miles to ensure a thrilling victory in a time of 29.45.
It was Miles who took up the running early on, leading a large pack of athletes through 1k in 2.55. Paying close attention behind were Guernsey's Lee Merrien and Mark Draper. Indeed it was Merrien who took up the running, just edging in front through 4k in 11.53, with Andi Jones' course record looking under threat, and a dozen runners still in contention.
However, as the athletes approached halfway, it became apparent that a tactical battle was going to ensue, with no-one prepared to really push on and make a bid for home in a fast time. Draper briefly took up the running before Miles re-took the lead going into the final kilometre. Clearly aware of Speaight's presence and his 1500m speed, Miles did everything he could to shake his team-mate off, but his effort proved unsuccessful as Speaight edged clear with 30m left.
Understandably, Speaight was delighted with the win smashing over a minute from his previous pb. The John Bicourt coached athlete, recently returned from a training trip in Morocco with fellow racers Draper and Simon Jones. Whilst he was there, Speaight was able to continue his bigger mileage that he has been performing this winter and it would appear to be bearing immediate fruit.
The Belgrave Harrier's form is particularly impressive considering that last summer he was hampered by a debilitating lung injury which prevented him from capitalising on a 3.38 1500m early season run at Sheffield. However, Speaight confirmed "That's all behind me now, and it's extremely motivating to think that I ran 3.38 with out full function in my lungs. I'm really looking forward to the summer now."
Speaight will now have a crack at next week's inter-counties race in Nottingham, before turning his attention to the track season, "Obviously Beijing is a major target of mine" confirmed Speaight. "I think there are 6 lads who could run the A 1500m standard, but that's the competition we all need and I'm relishing the challenge."
Behind the 2 Belgrave athletes, Merrien came home in 3rd and admitted to having 1 eye on next week's Inter Counties in Nottingham where he hopes to be in contention for a place on the world cross team. Belgrave 
wrapped up the team event through Speaight, Miles and 4th placed Jones.
On the women's front, Bedford's Katrina Wooton smashed the course to record a victory in 33.38, 35 seconds clear of Nicky Archer. Horwich's Katie Ingram was 3rd.
Wooton, who was only advised on Friday that she should have a run had never done a road 10k before, went 4th on the UK rankings with her time, behind currently leader Michelle Ross-Cope. The Andy Hobdell coached athlete will now decide during the week whether to run at Nottingham at the weekend. However, having narrowly missed out on selection for the world indoors, like Speaight, Wooton's primary focus will be on the track this summer, "I'm still weighing up doing a mix of 1500's and 5k's" said Wooton after the race. "Ive done the bulk of my winter work in Coventry but soon Ill be going back to St Albans to prepare for the track."
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Report by Matt Barnes