Whole Foods Market Breakfast Run winner Michael Skinner revealed local knowledge gave him the edge as he triumphed in Market Place on Sunday.

The 34-year-old Blackheath & Bromley athlete and Great Britain international clocked one hour 28 minutes 42 seconds to win the 16-mile race with Ben Shearer a distant second in 1:29:26.

Lucie Custance claimed the women's race win in 1:42:09, with Annie Emmerson coming home 4:55 behind her in second.

"I really enjoyed it,” said Skinner, who finished 51st at the world cross country championships in Poland last year.

“I live really close by so I know the course and run it quite a lot, but it was really nice to get out and race it today.

"The conditions were pretty perfect. I enjoyed it.”

Belgrave Harrier Tish Jones, from Teddington, won the eight-mile event in an impressive 45:35 as she finished 1:55 ahead of men's race winner Thames Turbo's Tom Higgins.

“The first bit was very windy, but I paced with the 16 mile guys for a bit and was really happy with my run," said the 29-year-old.

More than 2,600 athletes - including former Miss World And I'm a Celebrity contestant Amy Willerton - took to the streets of Kingston for the most well known of the Human Race Pace Series events.

Most athletes use the event as a warm-up to the London Marathon on April 13.