COMPETITORS LINED UP: RACE START; RACE IN PROGRESS: VARIOUS SHOTS OF LEADERS: CROWD AT FINISH: TAGG CROSSES FINISH LINE: OTHER COMPETITORS FINISH: TAGG WITH TROPHY.




Initials PH/VS/MR/BJ JH/C/AW/BJ


SPORT: CROSS COUNTRY RACE

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: BRITAIN'S LONG-STRIDING MIKE TAGG, A LEADER THROUGHOUT, YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) IMPRESSIVELY WON THE 15TH ANNUAL SAN SEBASTIAN INTERNATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY RACE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN SUCCESSION.

TAGG'S TIME OF 30 MINUTES 48 SECONDS FOR THE TEN-THOUSAND METRES WAS ONE SECOND FASTER THEN HIS 1969 WINNING TIME. ZADEM OF TUNISIA WAS SECOND IN 30 MINUTES 53 SECONDS AND THIRD WAS TAGG'S TEAM-MATE TREVOR WRIGHT, FOUR SECONDS BEHIND ZADEM.

JIM STEWART OF SCOTLAND WAS FOURTH WITH 31 MINUTES 6 SECONDS.

TAGG, WHO WAS AMONG THE LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE WOODED LASARTE COURSE, WAS STILL MOVING STRONGLY AND SMOOTHLY WITH WRIGHT AND SPANIARD JAVIER SALGADO AT THE HEAD OF THE STRUNG-OUT FIELD OF 122 RUNNERS AFTER MORE THAN 6,000 METERS.

ZADEM, WHO HAD STAYED JUST BEHIND THE BRITISH RUNNERS, MOVED TO THE LEAD IN THE CLOSING STAGES BUT WRIGHT AND TAGG STAYED WITH HIM.

IN THE FINISHING STRAIGHT, WITH WRIGHT DROPPING BACK, ZADEM AND TAGG FOUGHT OUT A SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER BATTLE-OF-STRENGTH WITH TAGG BURSTING INTO THE LEAD WITH A SPRINT WHICH LEFT THE TUNISIAN COMPLETELY OUTCLASSED.

MORE THAN 25 THOUSAND SPECTATORS WATCHED TAGG WIN THE EVENT - THE TOP CROSS COUNTRY RACE ON THE SPANISH CALENDAR - BY MORE THAN THIRTY-YARDS.

AS WELL AS TAKING FIRST AND THIRD PLACE, ENGLAND WON THE TEAM EVENT WITH 18-POINTS, FROM TUNISIA WITH 25.