Local athletes were to the fore at the first Maidstone 10k on Sunday.

The race was run in aid of the Heart of Kent Hospice and 540 entrants took to the streets, starting from Cornwallis Academy where the circular route took the runners through the village of Boughton Monchelsea and along winding country lanes.

The run offered the perfect warm-up for experienced runners getting ready for the spring races and a challenge for those wanting to complete their first 10k.

Penny Holden (Maidstone Harriers, 43min12sec) won the women's race, leading Holly Priestley of Maidstone (44.54) and Bearsted's Claire Whitehouse (45.17).

In the men's event, home hopes were carried by Medway and Maidstone's Alexander Lindfield, who claimed a top-three finish in 37.54. Greenwich's Calvin Mullings (Serpentine) won the race in 36.11 with Nigel Ling of Dartford Road Runners (36.23) the runner-up.

Supported by Mercury Holidays, this was also the first charity run of the year to be organised by the hospice, which provides vital end-of-life care for more than 1,000 patients and their families each year.