Runners battled oppressive heat and humidity in the Nature Valley 5K, with barely a breeze to be found on the testing course around central Devonshire.

The end of season event almost doubled in size with 106 runners finishing the main race.

The humidity level was at an energy-sapping 90 per cent, but Teddy Shum and Gayle Lindsay coped best to chalk up maiden wins in the race.

It was Tommy Marshall, 13, who made the early running as he took the lead in the opening mile. Shum, 33, was right there with him and managed to keep the pace going during the later hills, which included the long drag up Frog Lane. He won by four seconds in 18min 52sec, followed by Marshall, the first under-18, and Neil De Ste Croix, first senior master, in 19:05.

Shum, who has a personal best of 17:44 for the distance, was pleased with his win, and is now concentrating on a half-marathon in the Rockies next month.

Among the women, Lindsay and Christine Dailey were inseparable for most of the race, with Dailey edging the pace.

Lindsay, 29, who was runner-up two years ago, said: “She [Dailey] was running strong and I tried to keep as close as possible. It was a tough run. Up Frog Lane I tried to push it. With the humidity it felt like it was a much faster race.”

Lindsay’s extra effort on the final hills took her clear to claim victory in 19:15, ahead of Dailey in 19:29, and last year’s winner Martina Olcheski-Bell, third in 21:30.

Also in the field were a number of well-known local athletes who had illustrious sporting moments as far back as the Seventies and Eighties, among them Jim Butterfield, Peggy Couper, and Mike Whalley.

The 5K walk was won by Malcolm Durrant, in 36:50, ahead of Gilda Cann in 38:11 and Aaron Tucker in 38:23.

Women’s age division winners in the 5K road race were Liana Medeiros (under-18) in 23:34; Anna Laura Hocking (master) in 22:53; Sharon Craig (senior master) in 26:33; and Darnell Wynn (over-60) in 29:25. Among the men, age division winners were Jesse Sheppard (18-29) in 21:18; Jason Adkins (master) 20:18; and Christopher Jones (over-60) in 24:35.