WHATEVER else Ruth Barnes achieves in her sporting career there will be few days more significant or emotional than her victory in the 36th Vitality Bath Half Marathon, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

On one of those days when her stars were all aligned, the Bradford on Avon doctor finally exorcised the demons of her previous attempts at the distance and was rewarded not only with the best victory of her career, but also her biggest pay day.

The £1,000 winner’s cheque will give her great short-term satisfaction – and may help towards the family summer holiday – but what price will she put on the memories of an epic win that writes Barnes name alongside such British all-time greats as Joyce Smith,Veronique Marot and Liz Yelling on the Bath half roll of honour?

“I cannot believe I have won, I would have never thought of this in my wildest dreams,” said Barnes.

“I went off too fast with Rachel Felton and then up the hill at Queen Square I pulled away from her. That second lap was very hard and in the last two miles I felt awful, never felt so bad in my life.

“At one stage I had a dreadful stomach pain (a problem which has previously wrecked her half marathon attempts) but I wasn’t going to let that affect me today so I just kept on going.

“I think if someone had been in front of me I would have stopped but I knew this was the biggest opportunity I would ever have to win the race.

“I would have liked to have felt strong coming down Great Pulteney Street to the finish but I didn’t. I was hanging on for dear life.

“But the crowds were immense and to hear them chanting my name almost bought me to tears.”

The biggest win of her career and in a huge personal best as she clocked a time of 1hr 15mins 32secs to smash her previous best of 79mins 28secs, set when winning the Devizes Half Marathon last year.

“This has to be the biggest win I have ever had,” admitted Barnes.

“I am over the moon and just feel like I am in a dream. This is definitely my moment.”

Barnes is not the first woman from Wiltshire to win the race as Swindon’s Debbie Gunning was victorious in 1999. But since then the only other west country winner was Cornwall AC’s Emma Stepto in 2015.

After her early charge faded Felton gamely battled on but was caught in the closing stages by Kent AC’s British international Amy Clements, who finished the race the fastest and had Barnes in her sights along the finish in Great Pulteney Street.

Stroud's Felton hung on for third in a repeat of her performance on her last appearance two years ago while Team Bath AC’s British international Rebecca Hilland was fifth (76:26) with Bristol & West AC’s Annabel Granger sixth and first veteran over 40 in 79:07, which is her fastest time in three years.

Barnes’ AVR clubmate Rich Ayling also had reason to celebrate in the men’s race as he came 13th in a personal best of 71:25, which carved 1min 25secs off his previous best.

With solid support from Mike Towler (29th in 73:17), Mike Rose (79th in 76:52) and Richard Harding (204th in 83:12), Avon Valley Runners finished runners-up to Team Bath in the men’s team event.

Scoring for the winning Team Bath squad were Westbury-based Thomas Davies , Jim Webb, George Frost and Josh Taylor as they boasted a total accumulated time of 5hrs 02mins 33secs to AVR’s 5:04.46 with Wells City Harriers third on 5:04.54.

In the women’s team event Barnes, Kirsty Rose (107th, 1:35.30) and Clare Wood (178th, 1:39.48) finished sixth while in the veterans team competition the AVR trio of Wood, Joanna Mumford (1:45.07) and Ali Atkinson (1:45.46) finished fifth.

Former champion Stepto led Cornwall AC to the women’s team prize (4:06:01) from Team Bath (4:07.58) and Bristol & West AC (4:12.00).

Elsewhere Corsham-based Team Bath runner Mike Dooley was fourth in the veterans over 50s age group.