With their Division Two status already assured for next season, Gloucester Athletic Club fielded very much a second-string team for the fourth Birmingham Cross-country League fixture of the 2014-15 season at Wolverhampton.
The club's senior men's team has been beset by injuries and non-availabilities throughout this winter but a solid start in the early-season races meant the team would finish in a mid-table position and could afford the luxury of bringing in their reserves who had served them well for the final fixture.
James Head, in only his second full season for the club, led the team home in this league for the first time as he achieved his highest-ever league placing of 74th. Next home was Steven Haines in 125th place. Haines has enjoyed a recovery in his racing fortunes this season and has consistently been among the club's leading six scorers throughout the year.
There then followed two runners who have typified the club's fighting spirit this winter, stepping into the breach when the team has been short.
Dave Gresswell placed 147th, while fellow V45 Ian Summers finished seconds behind in 158th.
Experienced campaigner Arthur Daley and comparative newcomer Aaron Bennett were locked together throughout the race, with both runners prepared to take up the running and force the pace for his team-mate to follow. Daley prevailed over his younger colleague by the thickness of a vest to place 181st to Bennett's 182nd, completing the scoring team.
Match-day team result: 1 Warwick Uni 100pts; 2 Wolverhampton & Bilston 114; 3 Bromsgrove & Redditch 126; 17 Gloucester 867. Overall league placings: 1 Wolves & Bilston 480pts; 2 Bromsgrove & Redd 607;
3 Warwick Uni 610; 10 Gloucester 1878.
Several of the Gloucester club's promising young athletes were in action at the weekend.
Bethan Moor placed 13th in the Intermediate Girls' race at the South West Schools Cross-country championships at Chippenham while clubmate Laura McPeake placed 31st in the Junior Girls' race.
Meanwhile, in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, Catherine Hardy placed fifth in the Under-20 Ladies' 60 metres in a season's best 7.87 seconds. Alidia Vaile placed third in her Under-15 Girls' 800 metres heat in 2:36.22 and Andrew Bowers placed third in his heat of the Under-20 Men's 400 metres in 52.68 seconds.
Sue Higgins placed 134th overall and first L50 in the 12-mile multi-terrain Dursley Dozen event, completing the course in 1:49:07.