Steve Male continued his fine form with a comprehensive victory in the 30th annual Otmoor Challenge Half Marathon.

Persistent rain made conditions very slippery, and some parts of the course resembled a cross country quagmire, but despite that, Male, of Oxford City, clocked a time only one second outside the course record as he recorded 1hr 15mins 01 sec, to also land the veterans’ cup.

Repeating his second place of 2008, Nigel Marley of Alchester was runner-up in 1.15.30, and he beat last year’s winner, Graham Robinson of Garden City Runners into third place (1.17.59).

In the ladies’ competition, Alchester’s Liz Grolimund came home first in 1.32.25, with Martha Hall of Garden City repeating her second place of 2008 in 1.33.04.

The ladies’ veteran race was won by Angie Sadler (Tewkesbury) in 1.34.06, and she was followed home by Alchester’s Angela Banks, who clocked 1.37.45.

Oxford City runner Philip Huxley improved on last year’s second place to take victory in the men’s supervets division, clocking 1.24.10.

Headington Roadrunners quartet of Jude Craft, Laura Kyte, Adrienne Hopkins and Sandra Wolanski won the ladies’ event, with Alchester’s team of Banks, Grolimund, Edwina Colclough and Helen Ropert finishing second.

The men’s and mixed team competition attracted 18 teams and was won by Garden City A, closely followed by Headington Roadrunners and Oxford City A.

The Ogden Trophy, awarded in memory of Ted Ogden, one of the founders of the Otmoor Challenge, was awarded to the 100th runner to finish.

This year it went to Robert King from Bicester, who clocked 1.40.34.