running season with his first major road victory yesterday in the 13th annual Labour Day five-mile race yesterday.

Thompson, leading from start to finish, led home the record 110 finishers -- 117 started the race -- in a time of 27 minutes and 45 seconds, six seconds ahead of David Dunwoody.

Jamal Hart (28:19), Tracy Wright (28:41), Colin Swan (28:45) and defending champion Brett Forgesson (28:57) completed the top six finishers.

Van Doyling, seventh overall in 29:05, was the first finisher in the men's 40-49 age group. Jane Christie, competing in that same age bracket, was the first female finisher in 34:17 and was 29th overall. Marina Jones was last year's female winner.

In 33rd and 34th places were the second and third-place women, Myra Brayham and Alison Cameron, just three seconds apart.

Thompson's winning time was well off the record time of 25.35 set by Tony Ryan in 1986, but he was still pleased with the victory. "I wasn't really aiming for that (record), I'm aiming for the Commonwealth Games in the 800 metres -- a time of 1.52 -- that's what my mind is geared up for,'' said Thompson afterward.

"I wanted to pace myself but I didn't want everybody hanging on my back.

At the Princess Hotel, near the two-mile mark, Thompson was leading Wright by about 40 yards. He managed to break away soon after that as Wright slipped back.

"I didn't turn around at that point, I just turned around in the last two miles to make sure nobody was up on me,'' said the winner. "The conditions were humid but not that bad, it's been worse.'' Wright did not have the best of starts to the season. He lost second place to Dunwoody on North Shore and Hart pushed him back a further place on Victoria Street, just before the finish line at Union Square.

"I was pretty stiff in the beginning,'' Wright explained. "I got here late and didn't warm up properly so I couldn't push the pace like I wanted. I was just trying to conserve myself and hang in there.

"I wasn't mentally ready when I got here. I started to get some pains in my side so I just sat back after that.'' The women's record of 29.36, set by Maria Conroy Haydon in 1991, also remained intact as Christie was six seconds slower than her female master's winning time a year ago.

"The conditions were the usual for the Labour Day race, very hot, very humid and not much breeze,'' she said.

"It was a good test for the first race of the season, it gives you a feel for where you are. My time was slow but I think that's about the time I usually do every year.

"In these conditions I don't think you can expect to run an awful lot faster.'' Christie passed Cameron at about the two-mile mark with Brayham also going past Cameron as they battled for first place in the 20-29 age group.

Shanay Scott was the lone 19 and under female participant, finishing in 45:32 while brothers David and Ernest Signor and Chris and Spencer Conway were the top finishers in the male 19 and under category. David Signor was first in 36:00, 39th overall.

Photos by Arthur Bean WINNERS -- Sheldon Thompson (above) and Jane Christie (below) were the men's and women's winners of yesterday's Labour Day Five-Miler, which signalled the start of the new road running season