FOR the second time in a month Ruth Barnes broke her personal best to claim victory in the Swindon 10k.

The 37-year-old member of Avon Valley Runners clocked a time of 35 minutes 32 seconds to carve 24 seconds off the time she set when winning the inaugural Grittleton 10k last month, to clip six seconds off her previous best.

“I just was not expecting that at all,” said Barnes, who lives in Bradford on Avon.

“I had run the Gwent League two weeks earlier and while I ran well I went over on my ankle so I had to have a week off.

“On Sunday, I thought I would be slowing down having trained properly but the rest has obviously done me good.”

Barnes, who has now jumped to ninth in the South West rankings and second in the over 35s category, dominated the women’s race finishing fifth overall of the 522 runners and almost four minutes ahead of runner-up Denise Grech of Calne.

“Swindon is a fast course,” added Barnes. “You have a two kilometre stretch on the way out, followed by two laps and then back to the finish and somehow it feels to go very quickly.

“Also on that second lap I was catching some of the slower runners and they were cheering me on and telling me I was top woman.

“Their support really helped and it was an excellent event.”

Men: 1 Simon Nott (CRC) 32:20; 2 Matt Battensbury (B&W) 33:00; 3 Thomas Hemming (Swin) 35:13; 4 Michael Milstead (St Mary’s Running & Triathlon Club) 35:31; 5 Ruth Barnes (AVR, W35) 35:32; 6 John Lewis (Swindon Striders) 35:36.

M40: Justin Peters (AVR) 37:10. M50: Alan Pitt (Stroud) 38:15. M60: Pete Molloy (Swin) 37:53.

Women: 1 Barnes; 2 Denise Grech (Calne RC, W45) 39:24; 3 Jo Fifield (Stroud, W35) 40:02.