IN-FORM Trowbridge runner Michael Towler is hoping that he can carry his sizzling September form into a red-hot winter.

Towler’s optimism and confidence are based on one of the best weeks of his career as he followed up his superb personal best of 70mins 28secs to go 10th in the South West rankings at the Bristol Half Marathon with a runaway victory in the Devizes 10k on Sunday.

The 28-year-old store worker dominated the race, taking charge just after three kilometres to run away from his rivals to win by over a minute in a time of 34mins 40secs.

“It wasn’t a bad week at all,” said Towler.

“It was hard work on Sunday as my legs were struggling a bit after the half marathon in Bristol. That’s why I took it steady for the first few kilometres and just sat in behind the pack before taking the lead and then really kicking on hard in the second half.

“The Devizes 10k is a tough course with some big hills early on so the times aren’t great but I am pleased to win as that is a first for me though I won the Devizes half last year.”

The race was also the eighth in the Wiltshire Road Race League, in which Towler was lying third and leading senior runner after seven events so that win should have strengthened his position.

For now Towler will switch his attention to cross country as he plans to open his season at the Cardiff Cross Challenge on Saturday week (October 13).

“That is going to be my first big cross country race of the winter so it will be interesting to see how I get on there and from then I’ll do a few other local races ad probably the Tri-Counties Championships in Bath,” added Towler.

“I just have to keep up the training and make sure I don’t get injured. So far though it has been a good year for me and I have run personal bests at every distance apart from 5k and I was only three seconds off that as well.”

In fourth place overall and claiming the veterans’ prize was Towler’s Avon Valley Runners’ Damian Spreckley, who currently leads the Wiltshire Road Race League standings. With solid support from Ian McKnee, AVR also won the team prize in the men's and women's races.

Leading woman was Sian Thomas of Salisbury from Frome Running Club’s Katherine Uphill with Catriona Ward Sell of Royal Wotton Bassett Hounds third.

A sell-out field of 325 runners took part in the relaunched race, which included a new start on Nursteed Road and took on the picturesque undulating route of Monument Hill, Etchilhampton and Coate, with the new finish on The Green.

The event was a partnership between Devizes Running Club and Calne-based, LPS Events and Devizes Running Club chairman Simon Gilbert was delighted with the outcome.

“Luke Shipway from LPS Events and I wanted to bring back the Devizes 10K, so we formed a partnership at the beginning of the year to deliver the race,'' he said.

"It has been a huge success; a sell-out is just fantastic. The event couldn't have taken place without the volunteering efforts of the 50 helpers and marshals from Devizes Running Club and the LPS events team.''

A donation will be made to Julia’s House Hospice in Devizes from the profits of the race, with a provisional date has been set for Sunday, September 29 next year.

Devizes Running Club's Roundway Revenge takes place on Saturday, November 17 at 9am. Enter online at entrycentral.com/revenge2018.

Devizes 10k – men: 1 Michael Towler (AVR) 34:40; 2 Simon Byrne (Swin) 35:46; 3 Peter Grist (Frome RC) 35:54; 4 Damian Spreckley (AVR, M40) 36:24; 5 Jamie McBrien (Corsham RC) 36:37; 6 Daniel Miles (AVR) 36:46.

M50: 1 Andy Stanley (AVR) 41:21. M60: Peter Allen (Corsham RC) 49:32.

U20: 1 Charlie Stockley (Unnat) 38:22.

Teams: 1 Avon Valley Runners (Towler, Spreckley, Ian McKnee).

Women: 1 Sian Thomas (Sals) 39:56; Katherine Uphill (Frome RC) 40:16; Catriona Ward Sell (RWBH) 41:28.

W45: 1 Ellie Redford (Unnat) 44:56. W55: 1 Alison Graham (Corsham RC) 46:11.

Teams: 1 AVR (Gemma Lawton, Philipa Brewer, Caroline Watson).

265 finishers