Picture special: Maidenhead Half Marathon

Fitness fanatics revelled in a ‘carnival of running’ on Sunday as the Maidenhead Half Marathon returned to the town.

The event, organised by Purple Patch Running, saw more than 2,000 runners tackle the two-lap course which meandered around North Maidenhead and Cookham before returning through Kidwells Park and finishing outside the town hall.

Athletes set out to break new records on a course that is often touted as being ideal for running a personal best time.

Matthew Richards, 29, from Hackney, crossed the finish line first in a time of one hour 12 minutes and 25 seconds.

Last year’s fastest woman Tracy Barlow finished top of the pile again as she notched a time of one hour 15 minutes and 51 seconds.

This year’s event saw the introduction of a new 1.5-mile family fun run which saw people young and old make their way around Kidwells Park.

Former Maidenhead resident and race director Chris Donald said: “This is kind of like a carnival of running.

“Part of the reason we decided to hold the event here was because of our connection to the town and we wanted to give something back.

“The family fun run was introduced to get as many people involved as possible and I think that’s the way forward.”

The Shanly Foundation sponsored the run and named the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service as its named charity.