BARRY ROYDEN and Sue Martin-Clarke were again the stars as they won their respective Hempstead Half Marathon titles.

For Royden it was his 15th straight success and for Martin-Clarke she made it a round dozen off titles.

The Medway and Maidstone AC runner out-sprinted his team-mate Gareth Williams in the last 300m to clinch victory in a time of 1hr 12min 30sec.

On a drizzly morning, the M&M pair were locked together around the course but Royden made his break as they headed up Hempstead Valley Drive and it was good enough to seal his victory.

Speaking immediately after the race, Royden said: “We didn't really go off that hard, we went quite slow really, which is why the time is quite poor.

“I ran the 1500m at the Kent Championships on Saturday so that might have had something to do with it. I certainly wouldn't have run if it had been any other race than this one because my legs are a bit sore but this race means a lot to me.

“To win it again is fantastic but it's getting harder and harder ever year. There's more pressure on me because I have been so successful and I'll keep going until someone beats me.”

Williams said: “It didn't really worry me about winning. I did the London Marathon four weeks ago and I've still got that in my legs so I just wanted a good run.

“I knew I couldn't beat Barry in the sprint. To win I would have had to drop him along way back but it was a good race.”

Martin-Clarke won the women's race by a street finishing some 14 minutes in front of her team-mate Theresa Haigh.

She said: “I really didn't expect to win this year because I've been struggling with a back problem. When I try and up the pace my sciatica becomes really painful so I have to ease back until the pain subsides.

“But I'm really over the moon to have won again. The time wasn't wonderful but that doesn't really matter. I'm delighted to have crossed the line first.”