The start of the Brooks Paddock Wood Half-Marathon Picture: Matthew Walker

Nearly 2,000 runners finished the 22nd Brooks Paddock Wood Half-Marathon on Sunday, with John Hutchins of Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC the overall winner.

Hutchins was tracked by Peter Tucker of Metropolitan Police and Tom Collins of Medway & Maidstone AC until the 10-mile marker had been passed. He then cut loose to win by 44 seconds in 1hr 9min 1sec from Collins (1.09.45), who just held Tucker (1.09.47) at bay.

The race winner boasts a best marathon of 2.21.51, achieved when finishing seventh in last year’s Florence event. On that basis the eagerly awaited marathon debut of Collins could be quite spectacular as he has trimmed his half-marathon best by over two minutes this year.

Clare Elms of Dulwich Runners continued her rich vein of form to win the women’s race in 1.19.23 for a personal best and the 2011 leading W45 mark in Britain. Elms was chased home by Paddock Wood’s W40 masters Maria Heslop (1.19.57) and Tina Oldershaw (1.20.29). Heslop improved her previous best by more than two minutes to edge out the 2010 winner.

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