MARK NORMAN, of Medway and Maidstone AC, broke the course record to win the 10th annual Ditton Turkey Run.

Norman, who finished 11th last year, was pushed all the way to the line by Kent Grand Prix road race champion, David Law (Maidstone Harriers) who also dipped under Daniel Green’s previous best from 1998.

Conditions were foul for the Turkey Run with deep mud through the Oaken Wood section. The leading pack included former winner Michael Poppy (Sittingbourne) and last year’s runner-up, Michael Stacey (Maidstone Harriers), who is the Kent M50 cross country champion.

Also prominent were 17-year-old Ditton resident Tom Collins (Medway and Maidstone), Nigel Cook of Thanet Road Runners, Michael Gore (Maidstone Harriers) and leading M40 Andy Sando from Leybourne.

The women’s race was led from the gun by 2001 champion, Shireen Bailey (W35), a former Olympic 1500m finalist.

Bailey enjoyed a comfortable victory in 41min 32sec which was astonishingly one second faster than her previous winning time and just one second outside the course record held by six times winner, Jenny Harnett of Medway and Maidstone AC.

Kim Howes was a distant runner-up but was a key factor in Maidstone Harriers’ team success over Paddock Wood AC who included Ditton resident Sue James in their quintet.

Larkfield AC demonstrated their improvement by finishing third ahead of the winning local fun team, Barming Nomads.

Results: 1 Mark Norman (Medway & Maidstone) 56.54 (record), 2 David Law (Maidstone Harriers) 37.05, 3 Nigel Cook (Thanet Road Runners) 38.02, 4 Tom Collins (Medway & Maidstone) 38.24, 5 Michael Stacey (Maidstone Harriers M50) 39.00, 6 Michael Gore (Maidstone Harriers) 39.13, 7 Michael Poppy (Sittingbourne Striders) 39.30, 8 Andy Sando (Unattached M40) 40.12, 9 George Jones (Priory Health Club) 40.34, 10 Trevor Taylor (Tunbridge Wells) 40.45.

11 Stephen Throssell (Unattached) 40.50, 12 Glen Beasley (Ashford & District) 40.51, 13 Andy Fletcher (Paddock Wood M40) 41.11, 14 Peter Gibson (Istead & Ifield M40) 41.52, 15 Andrew Keeley (1066 Triathletes) 42.05, 16 Gareth Lewis (Runners World Forum) 42.06, 17 Adrian Moody (Kent Police M40) 42.12, 18 Trevor Walker (Paddock Wood M40) 42.31, 19 Jerry Osborn (Topnotch Turky Trotters M40) 42.40, 20 Neil Miners (Unattached) 42.43.

21 David Thompson (Maidstone Harriers) 42.51, 22 Patrick McDougal (Nexus Alpha) 42.56, 23 Grant Woodman (Maidstone Harriers M40) 43.20, 24 Steve Chalken (Unattached) 43.48, 25 Barry Lee (Barming Nomads) 44.14.

Women: 1 Shireen Bailey (Priory Health Club W35) 41.32, 2 Kim Howes (Maidstone Harriers W35) 45.05, 3 Almas Frost (Unattached W45) 46.06, 4 Sue James (Paddock Wood W50) 47.09, 5 Mo Ovenden (Deal Triathletes) 47.36, 6 Hazel Imeson (Barming Nomads W45) 48.38, 7 Jenny Poulter (Barming Nomads W45) 48.57, 8 Elizabeth Scott (Larkfield AC) 49.15, 9 Pat Halstead (Swanley & District W50) 49.42, 10 Lindsey Turner (Tunbridge Wells W35) 50.35, 11 Helen Jukes (Priory Health Club W35) 51.21, 12 Christa Smy (Maidstone Harriers W45) 51.43, 13 Barbara Gambrill (Thanet Road Runners W45) 53.02, 14 Nicola Susans (Larkfield AC) 53.29, 15 Tina Thursting (Topnotch Turkey Trotters W35) 54.07.

Teams: 1 Maidstone Harriers 70 points, 2 Paddock Wood AC 170, 3 Larkfield AC 241, 4 Barming Nomads 251, 5 Priory Health Club 252, 6 Maidstone Harriers B 331, 7 Topnotch Turkey Trotters 362, 8 Istead & Ifield Harriers 389, 9 Wye Wobblers 433, 10 Maidstone Harriers C 460.