STEVE DAWES ‘blew up’ but stayed sufficiently intact to post the second fastest time ever in the traditional Boxing Day cross-country at L’Ancresse yesterday.

Making the most of as benign conditions as you are ever likely to see on the old course which starts and finishes underneath Rocque Balan, Dawes (pictured) broke 25min. for the first time and with a 45sec. personal best only Lee Merrien has now gone quicker.

By the two-mile mark he had a lead of more than a minute and at the finish, which he reached in 24min. 31sec., the gap between himself and runner-up Colin Jeffreys was an impressive 2min. 27sec.

Although more than happy with his efforts, which incidentally land him the club’s prestigious Beaulieu Trophy as a reward, Dawes admitted his pacing was far from ideal.

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