Just less than 500 endurance athletes assembled on Ramsgate seafront promenade on Sunday morning to battle for Kent titles and medals in the Thanet 20 mile road race.

The promoting club, Thanet Road Runners, had to change the route at short notice but these difficulties were overcome in plenty of time for Julian Rendall of Tonbridge AC to win his first Kent 20 mile title in a personal best 1 hour 53 minutes 21 seconds.

Rendall was fifteen seconds clear of M40 master, Andrew Green of Dartford Road Runners, at the fifth mile but a strong second half saw that margin grow to over five minutes at the finish. A revision of Rendall’s best marathon time (2.29.25) in the Flora London event next month now looks to be a formality.

Green (1.58.43) was a persistent silver medal winner and the sole remaining athlete to dip under two hours for the revised and generally accepted tougher course. Mark Wilkins (2.00.30) of Invicta East Kent took the bronze medal.

Masters gold medal winners were Green (M40), Steve Smythe (M50) of Dulwich Runners and Trevor Edgely (M60) of Invicta East Kent.

Invicta East Kent, with an M50 master and the M60 champion in their squad, won the team gold from Tunbridge Wells Harriers and Maidstone Harriers.

The women’s competition saw Annabelle Stearns of Gravesend Road Runners getting stronger the longer the race went on to claim victory in both the open and W35 masters’ class in 2 hours 15 minutes 59 seconds.

The silver medal winner and W45 champion was Sharon Hawkins (2.19.35) of Maidstone Harriers and the bronze went to Helen Wheeler (2.20.15) of Folkestone Running Club.

The remaining masters’ winner was popular local athlete Pauline Hall (2.59.24) of Thanet Road Runners.

Canterbury Harriers won the team title after a tie breaker with Maidstone Harriers and Paddock Wood AC were third.