ALMOST 800 runners from all over Scotland pounded the streets of Helensburgh in glorious sunshine for the town’s 10k race.

Sponsored by Polaroid, the race has gone from strength to strength in recent years and Thursday’s event was no different.

Paul Sorrie from Shettleston Harriers won the men’s race, while Central AC athlete Jennifer Wetton won the women's event.

It was a particularly good victory for Sorrie as he managed to hold off Great Britain Rio Olympic marathon hopeful Derek Hawkins of Kilbarchan AAC to win the gold medal.

Hawkins, in fact, finished down the pecking order in 13th.

Irvine AC’s David Millar was in second place, winning the veteran over-40 title, while Colin Thomas of Bellahouston Harriers took third.

The second woman to finish was Katie White of Garscube Harriers, while Melissa Wylie of Dumbarton AAC was third.

A spokesman for Helensburgh Amateur Athletic Club, who helped organise the event, said: “With Rio 2016 on the horizon, it was fitting that there was an Olympic feel to proceedings.

“Derek Hawkins was back in town to return the Andrew Henderson Memorial trophy he claimed with his victory in last year’s race.

“Only a few weeks after his impressive showing in the London Marathon, which secured him a spot in the Great Britain team headed for Brazil this summer, Hawkins wasn’t going to be at the sharp end this time.

“He did, however, enjoy a training run around the streets of Helensburgh.”

Hawkins joined former Commonwealth 10,000m champion Lachie Stewart, still the native Scottish record holder for the distance, in getting proceedings underway in glorious conditions.

With a cooling breeze arriving just in time to stop the going from being too hot, the field set off on what was a slightly altered route from previous years.

The new course, which included a short, steep climb up Grant Street, tested the runners to the full and former winner Sorrie was really made to work as he came home first again in a winning time of 32 mins 30 secs.

In the men’s team event, Bellahouston Harriers took the honours while Garscube took the women’s crown.

An event spokesman added: “There was local success to cheer too when the Junior/Under-20s were led home by Helensburgh’s Joe Barton, only 16, in a promising 38 mins 0 sec and 15-year-old Cameron Kemp of Lomond School was third in 39 mins 59 secs.”

A spokesman for Polaroid said: “The Polaroid Eyewear 10k Series has grown since its first race in 1987 with around 100 runners, to up to 1,000 runners taking part in each race in recent years.

“The series comprises of four 10k road races in May and June and set in the towns of Helensburgh, Clydebank, Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven, which are local to the Polaroid Eyewear global manufacturing and distribution facility.

“The aim of the series is to provide a safe, well organised series of community running events that participants of all ages and abilities can enjoy. The main organisation consists of a team drawn from athletics clubs from the local community for each location, including Helensburgh Amateur Athletics Club, Clydesdale Harriers and Dumbarton Amateur Athletics Club.

“As a team we combine to organise the Vale of Leven 10k. By 2001 the series covered four 10k road races in Clydebank, Helensburgh, Dumbarton and the Vale – attracting on average 800 runners.

“Helensburgh holds the record entry for the series of just over 1,000. Traditionally the series starts with the Helensburgh 10k which originally started and finished at the west end of the town close to Helensburgh Rugby Club. However with the opening of HAAC’s new clubhouse in the grounds of Hermitage Academy the race starts and finishes there."