THE Essex half-marathon champion Crispian Bloomfield of Billericay Striders set a new course record to take the Maidstone half-marathon title at Grove Green on Sunday morning.

Bloomfield, who won the Les Witton memorial Dartford 10 mile race in January, covered the hilly 13.1 mile route in 70 minutes 57 seconds ahead of 538 official finishers.

The winner had broken away before the two mile marker was passed at Bearsted, with 2007 Malta half-marathon and Brands Hatch half-marathon winner Tim Short a clear second from last year’s fifth placed Tom Collins (Medway & Maidstone).

The 2006 women’s winner and British Masters 10 mile champion, Tina Oldershaw (Paddock Wood, 82.25), returned to successfully defend her title, running over four minutes faster than last year with the twelfth fastest W40 time in the UK rankings for 2007.

Oldershaw was always in command and won by hree and a half minutes from Tracey Ranson (Springfield Striders, 85.51) and the unattached Emma Dennis (1.31.02).