Woodstock Harriers’ duo Sophie Carter and James Bolton took the county senior women’s and men’s titles at Sunday’s Abingdon Mara-thon.

More than 1,000 runners from all over the country took part in the race, which started and finished at Tilsley Park.

Carter finished third in the open ladies’ race, clocking 2hrs 55mins 51secs, and this was good enough to clinch the county senior and overall women’s crowns.

Her performance, and that of Kerry Steele and Gillian Howell gave Woodstock team victory in both the open and county championships.

Steele (LV35) clocked 3.25.05, while Howell recorded a personal best of 3.40.55, taking third place in the vet 45 county category.

The open ladies race was won by Helen Taranowski (West 4 Harriers) in 2.53.52.

She was followed by Jenny Horne (Sheffield) in 2.54.38.

In the men’s race, Bolton captured the senior title by finishing 12th overall in 2.43.39, although he was not the first Oxfordshire runner home – that honour going to Oxford City veteran Julian Richardson.

Bolton helped Woodstock’s team to second in the open championship and victory in the county contest.

Kevin Game (3rd county senior man) clocked 2.47.30, while Dave Cantwell was second in the vet 40 county division in 2.51.38.

Meanwhile, marathon specialist Paul Brackett, running his 23rd race of the year, clocked 3.21.55 to win the county vet 50 title.

The men’s open race was won by Colin Paton (Army), who romped to victory in 2.33.48.

He finished almost two minutes clear of runner-up Paul Waterson (Morpeth Harriers), who clocked 2.36.24.

James Pearson (Beverley) was third in 2.36.51.

Richardson crossed the line ninth in 2.41.30.

This smashed his personal best by more than two minutes to secure the vet 40 men’s and overall men’s county titles.