ENGLAND international Amy Chalk clinched victory in the ladies’ race at the Castle Combe Half-Marathon as the 2014 Wiltshire Road Race League got under way on Sunday.

Bristol & West AC runner Chalk, who lives in Stanley, near Chippenham, finished in sixth place overall in 1hr 22mins 53secs to finish ahead of Kate Wilkins, of newly-promoted Devizes Running Club and Gemma Collings, of Chippenham Harriers.

West Wiltshire club Avon Valley Runners, the 2013 champions of the league sponsored by Newsquest – the parent company of the Wiltshire Times – were out in force to take maximum points ahead of ahead of Chippenham Harriers and Calne SMaRTT A.

Leading the 200-strong field to the finish at Castle Combe’s racing circuit was unattached runner David Evans in 1:17:04.

Another unattached runner, Chris Miller, was second, while Avon Valley’s Mike Rose and Joby Hobbs had a battle royal, Rose managing to stretch out an eight-second margin over Hobbs to take third overall in 1:20:37.

In the Second Division, Calne Running Club head the table with new joiners Bybrook Valley Runners in second and Calne SMaRTT B third.

The next race in the Wiltshire Road Race League is the St George’s 10k which takes place in Corsham on Sunday, April 27.

  • Road Race League tables and standings: wiltshire-athletics.org.uk.

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