ALLEN GRAFFIN, from Tonbridge, won the showpiece senior men’s 9.5k race in spectacular fashion at the Reebok International cross country meeting at Hartsdown Park at Margate.

The meeting attracted top class athletes from Great Britain, Eire, Portugal, France, Belgium, Hungary and the Netherlands and Belgrave Harrier Graffin beat Ben Noad (MIdlands) who was also second last year.

Four of the races acted as trials for the European Championships in Croatia next month and Graffin was one of four Kent athletes to make a big impression on the selectors.

Graffin sat in the pack on the first lap and patiently worked his way to the front on the second lap of this serpentine parkland course.

On the third and final circuit the 2002 English National silver medallist moved confidently into the lead to eventually cross the finish line nine seconds clear of Noad with Glynn Tromans (Coventry) and Dominic Bannister (Shaftesbury) grabbing the remaining automatic slots for the Great Britain squad.

Kent's unpredictable Charlotte Dale (Invicta) spiced up the senior women’s race after hearing of her pre-selection for Great Britain’s junior team for the European Championships.

Deciding to forego a probable formality in her own under-20 age group, the irrepressible 18-year old from Whitstable lined up against the best senior opposition available in order to test her strength.

Dale was prominent from the start and was soon forcing the pace alongside Hayley Yelling (Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow) who is the current Reebok series leader.

As the race unfolded the previosuly unheralded Hungarian athlete, Aniko Kalovics, emerged as the winner by three seconds from Hayley Tullett (Wales) and Yelling who held off her sister-in-law, Liz Yelling (England), for third place.

Dale tired in the closing stages but battled hard to finish seventh. Selected results. Men’s 9.5k: 1 A Graffin (Belgrave Harriers) 28.33, 2 B Noad (Midlands) 28.42, 3 G Tromans (Coventry Godiva) 28.43, 4 D Bannister (Shaftesbury) 28.44, 5 S Barden (Belgrave Harriers) 28.46, 6 H Chepkowmy (Combined Services) 28.58, 26 M Coleman (Medway & Maidstone) 29.58, 33 B Royden (Medway & Maidstone) 30.20, 47 H Evans (Tonbridge) 31.16, 54 M Whittaker (Ashford) 31.30, G Williams (Medway & Maidstone) 31.45, 91 A Lowther (Medway & Maidstone) 34.24, 96 J Dack (Deal Triathletes) 36.48, 105 M Earl (Maidstone Harriers) 40.39, 107 D Fitzpatrick (Invicta) 41.37, 110 K Underdown (Larkfield AC) 42.56.

Teams: 1 Midlands 29pts; 2 Belgrave Harriers 31pts; 3 Combined Services 75pts; 4 Aldershot 80pts; 5 East 100pts; 6 Scotland 100pts; 7 Basildon AC 116; 8 Northern Ireland 117 pts; 9 Medway & Maidstone 127pts; 10 Notts AC 127pts.

Women’s 5.5k: 1 A Kalovics (Hungary) 17.58, 2 H Tullett (Wales) 18.01, 3 H Yelling (Windsor) 18.05, 4 L Yelling (England) 18.11, 5 D Henaghan (England) 18.22, 6 L Damen (South West) 18.26, 7 C Dale (Invicta u20) 18.31, 22 K Clark (Medway & Maidstone) 19.47, 28 C Colmer (Bexley) 19.57, 38 K Crickmore (Medway & Maidstone) 20.52, 40 J Harnett (Medway & Maidstone) 21.00.

Teams: 1 England 26pts; 2 Midlands 35pts; 3 Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow 38pts; 4 Wales 65pts; 5 South West 65pts; 6 East 82pts; 7 Medway & Maidstone 100pts; 8 Combined Services 112pts; 9 France 119pts; 10 Cambridge House 198pts.

Junior women’s 3.5k: 1 F Murray (Scotland) 11.55, 2 A Herzog (Netherlands) 11.57, 3 L Dobriskey (Ashford) 11.58, 4 D Barnes (England) 12.08, 5 R Mason, East 12.15, 6 K Harding (Dacorum & Tring) 12.17.

Teams: 1 Netherlands 42pts; 2 Midlands 60pts; 3 Belgium 67pts.