The excitement of team competition, at veteran level, is no higher in the United Kingdom than it was in the Southern Counties Veterans Athletics Finals on the 6th of September at Ashford' s Julie Rose Stadium.
Intermittent showers did nothing to dampen the great enthusiasm for the event where teams were fighting for every point writes Alastair Aitken.
Blackheath & Bromley AC were the victors for the second year running in the men's final but only, for the second year ever, was there a tie in the women's final. This year it was Cambridge Harriers and Radley Athletic Club with a close    third by Havant. Excellent from a place with only 20,000 inhabitants.
        Clare Elms, an attractive mother of three, was prolific on the track for Cambridge Harriers. The British Masters W35' 1500 Champion won the 800, 1500, 3000 and was part of the winning 4x400 relay team. That was only a week after running in three events for Cambridge Harriers in the Southern League at Sutton and, two weeks after winning four events at the Veterans Athletic Club Championships at Kingsmeadow.
 Regarding the men Blackheath were strong on the track and the field and deserved to win but there were some multiple winners on the day from several clubs. Picking a couple out of many, there was Sam Elikwu from Enfield & Haringey who won the M50-59 100/200/triple jump and long jump and Basingstoke's Steve  Sammut was another prolific winner for Basingstoke & Mid Hants in the field.

 The overall points and, Area Champions who topped their leagues in order to qualify for the final (In brackets) :-
 Men:- 1 Blackheath & Bromley 224 (Kent); 2 Herne Hill Harriers 211 (Mid London); 3 Oxford City 200 (Western), 4 Basingstoke 197 (Hants & Surrey); 5 Enfield & Haringey 166 (Herts. & North Middlesex); 6 Eastbourne & Hailsham 128 (Sussex); Epsom & Ewell 91 (SW London).
 Women:- 1= Cambridge Harriers 213 (Kent); 1= Radley 213 (Mid London); 3 Havant 206 (Hants & Surrey); 4 Herts Phoenix 175 (Herts & North Middlesex); 5 Epsom & Ewell 170 (SW London); 6 Serpentine 130 (Mid London)
7 Eastbourne & Hants 96 (Hastings the Sussex league winners did not partake in the Final).