ENGLAND international Martin Scaife defied monsoon conditions to complete a hat-trick of victories in last Sunday's Darlington 10K.

The heavens opened at the start of the event and the 900 runners found themselves in the middle of a spectacular thunderstorm which turned day into night and flooded parts of the course.

"It was horrendous - really crazy," said Scaife, who found himself having to run through calf-deep water on parts of the course.

Fortunately for Scaife, who won in a desperate sprint finish last year, no other runner was able to match his speed or determination and he ran alone from soon after the start to win by an emphatic minute-and-a-half in a time of 30min 1sec.

"I've never raced in conditions like that before - it was like a monsoon," he said.

"I managed to get away soon after the gun and from then on I just kept my head down and kept going. It was pretty difficult at times and on one section of the course the floodwater was up to my calves.

"All I could do was to keep going as best as I could and really the time was of no importance."

Great Britain triathlon international Catherine Hare believes that the atrocious conditions helped her win the women's race.

The 21-year-old Loftus athlete, who has just graduated from Loughborough University, admitted: "When I came to the race I didn't expect to win. But the conditions made it like a cross-country event and that suited me.

"I passed a couple of girls after three kilometres, but I didn't realise I'd won the race until someone told me after the finish."

Hare finished 25th overall in 36.49 to beat last year's runner-up, Bernadette Taylor, by 28 seconds.

Last year's winner, Susie Rutherford, had to be content with fourth place, but helped Darlington Harriers retain the team prize.

Hare, who took the silver medal in the recent European Under-23 Triathlon Championships, has decided to concentrate on her cycling and will be representing Great Britain in the World Cup races in Germany and Holland later this month.

Loftus celebrated a double success when former North-East marathon champion John Hunter finished in third place to take the over-40 prize.

Results. - Men: 1 M Scaife (Chester-le-Street) 31.01; 2 P Grime (Durham University) 32.37; 3 J Hunter (Loftus M40) 32.53; 4 D Lockett (Salford) 33.04; 5 M McDonald (Low Fell) 33.05; 6 S Potts (Sunderland) 33.13; 7 M Grainger (Darlington M40) 33.36; 8 J Wardley (Scarborough) 34.29; 9 I Anderson (Knavesmire) 34.40; 10 S Miller (Wrekin) 35.04; 11 T Hardman (Elvet M40). M45 M Ingram (Crook) 37.02; M50 I Scott (Quakers) 36.25; M55 H Matthews (Elswick) 36.15; M60 R Wilson (Sund) 40.03.

Women: 1 C Hare (Loftus) 36.49; 2 B Taylor (Darl) 37.17; 3 L Guscott-Trout (Knaves) 37.44; 4 S Rutherford (Darl) 37.46; 5 F Osborne (Unatt) 38.18. W40 A Raw (Darl) 38.47; W45 S Allen (Houghton & Peterlee) 39.22