CHRIS KNIGHT (Medway and Maidstone) took the Kent Championship title in the Les Witton Memorial 10-mile road race, promoted by Dartford Road Runners. The former England international from Downswood has had a barren spell recently but the amalgamation which has produced the new club he represents seems to have rekindled his enthusiasm.

The overall winner of the race was Russ Maddams, from Harlow, but he did not have the Kent qualification shared by the majority of the 600 competitors who were present at the Princes Golf and Leisure Club on the Darenth Road. The winning margin was 14 seconds.

Steve Wilson (Dartford Harriers) was a popular silver medal winner from Tim Bailey of Thanet Road Runners.

After years of trying, Steve Smythe (Dulwich Runners) finally became a Kent champion in the over-40 veteran category as Dave Thornby (Maidstone Harriers) won his first M50 gold and Michael Conway (Canterbury Harriers) added to his growing collection of M60 titles. Steve Game and Andrew Pickett combined with the individual runner-up, Steve Wilson, to take the team gold for Dartford Harriers from Maidstone Harriers and Dulwich Runners.

Kent cross country champion, Alison Fletcher (Dulwich Runners), was a commanding women's champion with a superb sub 60 minute performance. Her cushion over team mate Andrea Pickup was a remarkable six-and-a-half minutes as Alyson Parlett (Bexley) chased hard for the bronze medal.

With Fletcher being one of the best veteran runners in the world, the destination of the age group gold was a foregone conclusion but there were other eye-catching performances in the senior ranks. Deborah Routledge (Swanley) was the fastest over 45 in action with 68min 26sec but Marion Rayner (West 4) took the Kent gold inside 70 minutes in seventh place overall.

June Johnson (Sevenoaks) gained another W55 gold but had to work hard for victory on this occasion as Gina Little (Plumstead) was just nine seconds in arrears. Dulwich Runners were very much in control in the team race with three athletes in the top four positions. Tunbridge Wells Harriers and Sevenoaks picked up the remaining medals at the end of a blustery morning in the Kent countryside.

Results: 1 R Maddams (Harlow) 55.57, 2 C Knight (Medway & Maidstone) 56.11, 3 S Wilson (Dartford H) 56.55, 4 T Bailey (Thanet) 56.56, 5 S Game (Dartford H) 57.06, 6 S Smythe (Dulwich - M40) 57.41, 7 T Sutton (Invicta) 57.44, 8 A Pickett (Dartford H) 58.21, 9 D Law (Maidstone H) 58.38, 10 R Spedding (Dulwich) 58.56, 11 D Davies (Maidstone H - M40) 59.14, 12 M Poppy (Sittingbourne) 59.33, 13 G Stevens (Sevenoaks - M40) 59.55, 14 L McMeekin (Medway & Maidstone) 60.16, 15 S Tancock (Epsom & Ewell - M40) 60.52, 16 T Yoshiwara (Invicta) 60.55, 17 M Stacey (Maidstone H - M40) 61.13, 18 D Palfrey (Tunbridge Wells) 61.19, 19 S Hargreaves (Bexley - M40) 61.32, 20 P Marsh (Dulwich - M50) 61.40.

Women: 1 A Fletcher (Dulwich - W35) 59.28, 2 A Pickup (Dulwich) 66.00, 3 A Parlett (Bexley - W35) 66.06, 4 G Johnson (Dulwich - W35) 66.14, 5 J Parkin (Tunbridge Wells) 66.58, 6 D Routledge (Swanley - W45) 68.26, 7 M Rayner (West 4 - W45) 69.52, 8 S Hawkins (Maidstone H - W35) 70.22, 9 R Tabor (Dulwich - W45) 71.19, 10 H Fitzmaurice-Cotton (Sevenoaks) 71.55, 11 T Taylor (Tunbridge Wells - W35) 72.04, 12 M Evans (Cambridge H) 72.35, 13 A Thornhill (unattached) 72.37, 14 K Allmark (Newcastle) 72.44, 15 J Frogley (Swanley - W35) 73.00, 16 C Porter (unattached) 73.11, 17 P Halstead (Swanley - W45) 73.57, 18 S Goven (Sevenoaks - W45) 74.19, 19 J Cobby (New Eltham - W35) 74.30, 20 J King (New Eltham) 74.30.

KENT CHAMPIONSHIPS, Senior Men: 1 Knight, 2 Wilson, 3 Bailey.

Over 40: 1 Smythe, 2 Davies, 3 Stevens.

Over-50: 1 D Thornby (Maidstone H) 62.32, 2 T Culshaw (Invicta) 63.28, 3 L Collins (Sevenoaks) 64.54.

Over-60: 1 M Conway (Canterbury) 64.03, 2 A Smith (Ashford) 72.54, 3 G Williams (Ilford) 73.56.

Teams: 1 Dartford Harriers 13 points, 2 Maidstone Harriers 29, 3 Dulwich Runners 36.

Senior women: 1 Fletcher, 2 Pickup, 3 Parlett.

Over-35: 1 Fletcher, 2 Parlett, 3 Johnson.

Over-45: 1 Rayner, 2 Halstead, 3 Govan.

Over-55: 1 J Johnson (Sevenoaks) 82.15, 2 G Little (Plumstead) 82.24, 3 M Guard (Dartford Harriers) 93.13.

Teams: Dulwich Runners 7pts, 2 Tunbridge Wells 29, 3 Sevenoaks 42.