Toby Lambert from the Hampshire club was a comfortable winner in 29min 32sec - 30 seconds off the course record but an impressive finishing time all the same.

And the runner-up was his club-mate Chris Powner, who finished in 29.45 in his first competitive race for seven months.

Those times were personal bests for both men.

Paul Whittaker from Southend on Sea AC was third in 30.23 - almost a minute behind the winner.

First woman home was a visitor from America, Amber Moran, in 34.38.

As expected, the first Chichester athlete past the finishing post in the city's Northgate car park was James Baker, who was ninth in a time of 31.29.

Chichester Runners and Bognor-based Tone Zone were both very wel-represented.

In all, there were 1,537 finishers in the race's biggest-ever field.

Organiser Graham Jessop, from Chichester Priory Rotary Club, was delighted with the way the event ran.

"We've had perfect conditions for running, a record field and it's all gone exactly as we hoped," he said.

For reports, pictures and a full list of finishers, get the Observer - out on Thursday.