TAVISTOCK'S Jim Cole and Erme Valley Harriers' Alison Thorn were triumphant in the First Chance 10k held at Exeter.

The race around the Exeter waterways attracted more than 500 runners.

Cole showed his class to win by nearly two minutes.

The Tavistock athlete finished in a time of 31 minutes and 51 seconds with the second-placed runner, Torbay's Lee Turner, completing the flat course in 33 minutes and 31 seconds.

It was the second year running the race had been won by a Plymouth & West Devon athlete, as Kairn Stone had triumphed in the event in 2011.

Plymouth Harriers' Neil Mytton finished fifth in this year's men's race in 34.28.

Erme Valley Harriers' veteran Alan Ryder was 12th and second over-45.

Tamar Trotters' Steve Brookes was third over-45 veteran and 15th overall.

Tavistock's Tony Symons was second over-50 veteran in 16th place overall.

The women's race was a lot tighter than the men's, with Erme Valley's Thorn holding off Tiverton's Serance Burd by two seconds.

Thorn finished in 39.10 with Burd coming home in 39.12.

Leading results

Men: 1 J Cole (Tavistock) 31.51, 2 L Turner (Torbay) 33.31, 3 A Humphreys 33.35, 4 L Bolam (Sidmouth) 34.28, 5 N Mytton (Plymouth Harriers) 34.48

Women: 1 A Thorn (Erme Valley) 39.07, 2 S Burd (Tiverton), 3 A Cutts (SWRR) 40.05, 4 E Sutcliffe (Exmouth) 40.10, 5 W Urban (Torbay AAC) 40.59