Medway and Maidstone's Tom Collins ran to his third second-place finish at the 26th Brooks Paddock Wood Half-Marathon on Sunday, writes Alan Newman.

There were 2,061 finishers from more than 160 clubs as Collins (1hr11min17sec) equalled his best finishes from 2011 and 2012.

Toby Lambert (Winchester & District AC) covered the one-lap rural course through the orchards and hop fields in 1:07.09 for the fourth-fastest time ever recorded on this course.

Robert Jackaman (Cambridge Harriers, 1:12.02) completed the rostrum.

The leading age-group runners were M40 Neil Smith (Anster Haddies RC, 1:12.40); M50 Tony Tuohy (Dulwich Runners, 1:18.56); M60 Ian Kitching (South London Harriers, 1:22.36) and M70 David Hennem (unattached, 2:06.20).

The women’s race was a much closer contest between former winners Clare Elms (W50, Dulwich Runners) and Tina Oldershaw (W45, Paddock Wood).

Oldershaw won her home club race five times between 1998 and 2013 but suffered a stress fracture at this event last year and was second this time in 1:24.44 behind the 2009 and 2011 winner (1:22.30). Una English (W35 unattached, 1:26.06) was third.

Locals preparing for spring marathons included Paddock Wood’s Claire Day (1:31.15) and Sarah Shepheard (1:32.30), Helen Newbery (Gravesend RR, 1:34.02), Julie Stoppani (W50 Maidstone Harriers, 1:36.24) and Emma Hollands (W40 Paddock Wood, 1:37.06). The higher-age category winner was Maggie Statham (W60 Holland Sports AC, 1:36.19).