Maria Heslop led her Paddock Wood team to success in the Kent 10k Championships at Larkfield on Sunday, writes Alan Newman.

The W45 master dominated the race from gun to tape to move up to second in the UK over-45 rankings with 36min50sec to retain her Larkfield crown.

Heslop was joined at the Kent medal presentations by W35 Sarah Gruber (Invicta East Kent, 38.18) and unattached W35 athlete Cath Chatterton (38.32) from Australia. Nicola Susans (W35 Larkfield, 38.34) collected W35 bronze.

Prominent club women included fifth-placed Claire Day (Paddock Wood, 40.40); Pru Clements (W35 Tunbridge Wells Harriers, 41.31); Maxine McInulty (W35 Larkfield, 42.08) and first under-23 Sarah Shepheard (Paddock Wood, 42.10).

Higher age group winners were W55 Vicky Talbot Rosner (Invicta, 45.45) and W65 Penny Roberts (Paddock Wood, 56.43). Heslop, Day and Shepheard were team gold medal winners for PWAC from Dartford Road Runners and Tunbridge Wells Harriers.

The men’s race was won by Cambridge Harriers' Rob Jackaman with Peter Tucker of Blackheath and Bromley Harriers second and Sam Proctor (Dartford Road Runners) third.

Locals taking full advantage of the favourable conditions included the over-50 champion Andy Howey (TWH, 35.39), Paul Jones (Istead & Ifield Harriers, 35.49), Stuart Shields (M40 TWH, 36.25), James Ridger (Paddock Wood, 36.34) and under-17 junior Alexander Lindfield (Maidstone Harriers, 37.37).

The over-60 category was keenly contested by James Graham (Sevenoaks, 38.55) and Dave Thornby (Maidstone Harriers, 39.21) and Michael Conway (Invicta, 46.23) was the leading M70 master.

Dartford Road Runners were the clear team winners from Tunbridge Wells Harriers and Orpington Road Runners.