PADDOCK Wood AC swept the board to take all four Kent 10 mile road race titles at the Chas Ryman Memorial Sittingbourne 10 on Sunday, writes Alan Newman.

Paul Hasler (56.08) and Tina Oldershaw (61.32) both annexed the course records as they dominated the individual awards and led Paddock Wood teams to overall victory to improve their standings in the Kent Grand Prix with one race remaining at the Wilmington 10k later this month.

Hasler hit the front within half a mile and by the top of the steep climb up Stocketts Hill had a comfortable 50 metres lead over local favourite, Anthony Jackson (Sittingbourne Striders), and the rest of the 300 entrants.

Paddock Wood had Mickael Hegesippe, Rob Rowland and Rob Shaw handily placed in the top six and it was the Frenchman who made the best progress to pass Jackson in the closing stages for the Kent silver medal.

Hasler raced through halfway over the M2 towards Doddington in 28.13 followed by Jackson (29.58) and Hegesippe (30.29) with Daniel Pyne of Dartford Harriers (30.31) a close fourth before dropping from contention.

At the finish the winner had three minutes to spare over Hegesippe (59.26), with Jackson (59.35) having to work hard to preserve third from Shaw (59.58), who was competing in his first 10 mile race. Rowland (60.24) was next across the line for Paddock Wood followed by David Ives (60.42) from Sevenoaks.

Oldershaw finished tenth overall in the combined field and was five minutes clear of Sharon Hawkins (W35, 66.52) from Invicta East Kent and Nicola Susans (67.11) of Larkfield AC. Terri Raveh (W45, 73.59) and Fiona Buckingham (W35, 75.08) secured the team gold medals for Paddock Wood.