Double Fairford 10k winner Dan Duke lords it over his rivals (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Double Fairford 10k winner Dan Duke lords it over his rivals

JUST 24 seconds slower than the course record he set last year, Cheltenham and County Harriers' Dan Duke won Sunday's Fairford 10k for the second successive year in a time of 32min 50mins.

Second place went to Andrew Hussey, of Severn AC, back in 33.31, who was followed by Ben Trapnell (RAFAC) in 34.15mins.

The MV40 category was won by Steve Gould (Halesowen A & CC) in 34.43mins.

A glorious day heralded the sixth Fairford 10k which attracted a superb entry of 448 - only slightly down on last year's number at 459 - with no less than 50 clubs represented.

Runners had come from as far a field as Jersey, London, Exeter, Tyne & Wear as well as some Americans based in Fairford.

Bryan Vaughan (Woodstock Runners) won the MV50 in 35.58 while Martin Ford set yet another record this year.

Having been undefeated in the MV50 category for the past five years, this time he won the MV60 in 39.14 and also set a new record, beating Cheltenham & County Harriers' James Cara-gher's 2000 record by 1.5mins.

Rob Pattison (M) once again won the first Fairford male prize with a time of 39.54 for his second year. Second and third Fairford males were Chris Rowley (M) 42.24 and Peter Rigby (MV40) 43.38 respectively.

Wendy Jones, of Cirencester AC, won the ladies' race in 36.40. Second place went to Mel Ellis (Shaftesbury Barnet) in 36.44 and third was Angie Sadler of Cheltenham & County Harriers in 39.56.

In the ladies' veteran category, the winners were Mel Ellis (FV35) Shaftesbury Barnet 36.44, Linda Ferris (FV45), unattached, 46.03 and Rose Webb (Radley AC) in 54.59.

Fairford's top three ladies were Laurraine Fagan (F) 54.06, Mandy Frank (FV35) 54.24 and Pam Duff (F) 58.52.

As well as trophies, the first male and first female, Dan and Wendy, received gold sovereigns donated by Bourton-on-the-Water Goldsmiths.

The winning teams were Stroud & District for the men - Lee Christmas, David Stanton and Phillip Manning - while the winning ladies team was Cirencester AC's Wendy Jones, Jane Wassell and Carol Clarke.

The increasingly popular 3km fun run, which was also started by Fairford Town Mayor Dave Nelmes, who was aided by Fairford Town crier Maurice Jones, enticed 360 entrants from the very young to the more mature.

The event took runners around the streets and lanes of the town and through the beautiful Fairford Park, by kind permission of the Ernest Cook Trust, before finishing on Park Street adjacent to the Walnut Tree Field.

First runner home was young John Ewbank with a great sprint finish.

Winners of the age categories are as follows: Ellie Sturla (infant girl) Hannington Wick; Cameron Wassell (infant boy) Tetbury; Robyn Maxtone (junior girl), Fairford; Richard Stevens (junior boy), Lechlade; Fleur Adderley (girl), Ampney Crucis; John Ewbank (boy), Fyfield; Lucy Clark (adult female), Fairford and Martyn Minter (adult male), Reading.

In addition, the first Fairford junior girl (Robyn Maxtone) and first Fairford junior boy (Samuel Meuller) received a new British coinage set, kindly donated by a Fairford resident.

Spectators and families were able to relax in the sunshine and a barbecue and hot food was available as well as a bar and WI cake stall.

Grateful thanks go to the following sponsors of the event: Invertec Ltd (main sponsors), Bourton-on-the-Water Goldsmiths (gold sovereigns), Perry Bishop & Chambers, Fairford Sports Centre, Fairford Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic, Lechlade and Faringdon Sports Injury Clinic, David Smith of BodyFuel.co.uk and Park Close Stores, Fairford.

Organisers also extend thanks to the British Red Cross, Fairford Scouts, all marshals and helpers, the Landers of Home Farm, Netherton (half-way water point) and Fairford Cricket Club (finishing point water) without whose support it would not be possible to host such an event.

Visit www.fairford.org for a full list of results for 10k and 3k.