Organised on behalf of Canterbury Forest of Blean Rotary Club supporting the Pigrim’s Hospice, the 2013 Canterbury half-marathon had 460 finishers on a sunny August Bank Holiday Monday, writes Alan Newman.

The individual winners were John Thorpe (unattached) in 1hr18min45sec and W45 master Tina Oldershaw (Paddock Wood) in 1:27.15. Oldershaw was an excellent 11th overall.

Thorpe was joined in the medal positions by M40 Jim Addison (Beckenham Road Runners, 1:19.59) and Michael Beckett (Coventry Godiva, 1:20.03).

Local men near the front included Robbie Higgins (Dartford Road Runners, 1:23.53), Jack O’Sullivan (M45 Dartford Road Runners, 1:26.28) and Daniel Walsh (Istead and Ifield Harriers, 1:26.29).

Oldershaw’s dominance of the women’s race resulted in a winning margin of three minutes over Hazel Vuvi (W35 Dartford Road Runners, 1:31.01). Cath Stibbs (W35 Kent AC, 1:38.10) was third.