THE prolific Dan Duke admirably demonstrated his liking for the annual Fairford 10k by winning Sunday's event for the third year in succession.

In a race started by former Olympian Sharron Davies, the Cheltenham Harriers member also broke the course record for good measure.

In cooler than usual conditions, Duke's winning time was 32 minutes and 16 seconds.

And in what was a record year for the Fairford 10k, with a grand entry of 549 and some 496 finishers, second place went to Vito Graffagnino (unattached) in 32.53.

Rather sportingly, Daniel Moore 33.32 (Bristol & West AC) elected to keep his MV40 trophy, offering his third place to Winchester & District's George Hide who clocked 33.49.

First lady home was Caroline Kloiber (Bristol and West AC) in 35 minutes dead, which was also a new course record for women.

Way behind her was Head-ington Road Runners Sally Howard who recorded 48.08 for 97th place. Prizes were handed out by Sharron Davies, David Paulson (Invertec MD), Fairford Festival Queen Hannah Buchanan and Fairford Festival princess Helen Ibbotson.

Due to the high turn-out, registrations were at one point snowed under.

And it looked as though there were not enough medals for the 10k. But this was not the case, although a number of competitors left without having received their medals.

Results. 10k: Winner M Dan Duke, Chelten-ham in 32:16 (new course record).

1st female: Caroline Kloiber (Bristol & West AC) 35.00 (new course record); 2nd female (97th overall): Sally Howard (Headington Road Runners) 42.08.

MV40 Daniel Moore (Bristol & West AC) 33.32; MV50 Steve Cook (Stratford- on-Avon AC) 38.29; MV60 Martin Ford (Cheltenham Harriers) 37.10.

FV35 Carole Phillips (Swindon Striders) 43.07. FV45 Dawn Pearson (Ivanhoe Runners) 43.18, 158th overall. FV55 Sue Bathgate (Cheltenham Harriers) 43.27.

1st Fairford male: Simon Campbell, 42.11; 1st Fairford female: Kate Humphries, 46.55.

Anne Stephens Trophy (1st FV) Carole Phillips, 43.07.

First male team: Bourton Road Runners (Mike Smith 34.:15, Alistair Lockey 34.36, Dennis Walmsley 36.11).

First female team: Cirencester AC (Kveta Kroulikova 44.57, Kim Ingleby 45.46 and Sue McKeeman 47.04).

3k fun run (top positions only): 1st male Ray Brook (Cheltenham); 1st female Brittany Teague (Bourton Roadrunners).

Infant boy (0-7): Cameron Wassell (Tetbury); infant girl: Claudia Mears; junior boy (8-11): William Paulson (Tetbury); junior girl: Beth Pudifoot (Chedworth); boy (12-17): Thomas Mansell (Tilehurst); girl: Brittany Teague, (Bourton Roadrunners).

Adult male: Ray Brook (Cheltenham); adult female: Lucy Cook (Whitchurch).

Prizes also went to the winning children's categories from Fairford. All in all, it was an excellent day with three records broken in the 10k, the highest ever entry and fastest male and female course times.

In view of the record number of entries, event organiser Jim Frank was particularly pleased that proceedings went as smoothly as they did.

All the full results for the Fairford 10k can be found at www.fairford.org