Defending champion Tina Oldershaw of Paddock Wood AC raced to her fifth win in the 2009 Children’s Mutual Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon on Sunday.

Newcomer Florian Neuschwander won the men's title in an event that attracted a field of around 1600 runners.

Oldershaw clocked a time of 1 hour 22minutes 57 seconds over a tough, hilly course through the villages of Bidborough, Penshurst, Fordcombe and Langton Green, seeing off the opposition, led by Ruth Briggs (1.24.24, Tunbridge Wells Harriers) and Rosalind Keiran (1.24.51, Herne Hill Harriers).

Local runners in leading positions included the W45 masters winner Sharon Hawkins (6th, 1.29.26) of Maidstone Harriers, W40 Tara Taylor (7th, 1.30.36) of the host club Tunbridge Wells Harriers and Laura Burton (9th, 1.30.57) of the winning Paddock Wood AC team.

Unattached veteran athletes Vanessa Cooney (W55, 1.43.03) and Geri Bright (W65, 2.03.52) took the higher age group awards.

At the sharp end, the race became more of a procession when the previously unknown Neuschwander (1.08.49) blasted through the opening uphill mile in a little over five minutes to split the field.

The winning margin over Hassan Raidi (1.10.28, Belgrave Harriers) was 99 seconds at the finish.James Baker (1.10.35) of Chichester Road Runners completed the winner’s podium.