Mike Coleman (Medway & Maidstone) and John Gilbert (Kent AC) were involved in a classic senior men's race during the Kent Cross Country Championships at Wilmington Grammar School on Saturday.

The pair forged a lead from the field of almost 200 runners as they battled for the individual gold medal, with 2010 champion Dean Lacy (Cambridge Harriers) looking threatening a few yards in arrears.

Coleman (pictured), six times champion between 2004 and 2009, started conservatively but was soon forcing the pace alongside Gilbert, winner of the South of Thames title in November and sixth in the 2010 Kent championships.

Halfway into the four lap race the pressure was applied by Gilbert who forged a winning lead to cross the finish line with 16 seconds to spare over Coleman, who will have to wait a while longer for an historic seventh victory. Lacy closed on the leaders for the bronze medal.

In the best senior women’s race for many years there was an astonishing first title for the oldest ever champion, Clare Elms of Dulwich Runners. The early stages saw the 2007 champion Jenni Pereira (M&M) and the 2008 champion Bryony Proctor (Blackheath and Bromley) locked in combat, with Pereira from Maidstone doing most of the front running.

Going into the final lap it was the 47-year-old Elms looking the strongest and so it proved as she accelerated away in the closing stages to enjoy a winning margin of ten seconds from Proctor and Pereira.