Exuberant after his run, the winner of this year’s Gravesend Pancake Race joked: “I’m so happy, I’ve been training for this for months.”

It may have been a tongue-in-cheek comment but theannual race, which is now in its fourth year, is getting increasingly competitive.

As the winner of the town’s first ever pancake dalliance, I came back ready to defend my title – but how it has changed!

Gone was the running around like headless chickens, and cries over the unfairness of the race if somebody failed to flip as much as someone else.

Now there are rules, with sections for runners to stop and flip three times.
But people’s pancake passion was not perturbed.

One runner was so desperate to finish first, he tripped over his own legs and came crashing down to the cobbles – sparking a warning from Gravesend’s town centre manager and event organiser, Graham Long.

People have even ditched the fancy dress – well apart from me and Tom – in favour of sports gear and team T-shirts.

There were several heats and the winners of those went through to the final.

Rajan Dhaliwal, a fitness instructor at NRG gym, was proclaimed the overall winner.

After he had got his breath back, the 22-year-old of Darnley Road, Gravesend, conceded: “I haven’t actually so much as flipped a pancake in preparation for this. It was all instinct but I’m proud to have come first.”

Mr Long added: “This is the biggest year for the pancake race, with 49 runners involved, and six heats.

“Thanks go to NRG Gym, who are our sponsors for the event, and to everyone who ran; it’s a great way to get businesses and people in the community involved.

“We’re a heart town, which means we’ve signed an agreement to work with the British Heart Foundation to help improve people’s health.”

All proceeds from the race will go to the BHF.

Runners represented Gravesham businesses including Barclays, Specsavers, Claire’s Accessories, McDonald’s, Tesco, Debenhams, St George’s Hair and Beauty, Martin Tolhurst solicitors and the Messenger.

For all the pictures from the day see today's (Thursday) Gravesend Messenger.