With more than 560 finishers in its fifth year of running the Lydd half-marathon is becoming a significant event on the Kent athletics calendar.

The winner on the flat, fast course was Phil Anthony (Invicta East Kent AC) in 1hr 6min 45sec, a personal best by 75 seconds. Mark Wilkins (Invicta, 1.14.25) and Antony Jackson (Sittingbourne Striders, 1.14.35) completed the podium.

Prominent local runners included top M40 master athletes Robert White (1.17.06) and Andrew Green (1.17.43) of Dartford Road Runners and Nathan Chapman (1.17.47) of Larkfield AC.

Tina Oldershaw (W40, 1.21.43) of Paddock Wood took the women’s trophy from Hazel Vuvi (W35, 1.24.58) and Ann Fuller (W45, 1.28.25) of Dartford Road Runners. Bernadette Harrop (W35, 1.31.50) was fifth for Medway and Maidstone AC.