A HAMPSHIRE road race delayed by the pandemic was won by one of the youngest people taking part.

Southampton student Ben Brown,16, stormed to victory in the Hendy Eastleigh 10k, which was being held for the first time in almost 500 days.

Ben was cheered and applauded as he crossed the finishing line at Fleming Park, having completed the course in just over 30 minutes.

He was presented with a salver by the race director, Steve Collins, a few minutes later.

Ben said he was satisfied with his time, adding: "Conditions were quite good. There was no wind and the temperature was OK."

Ben has been running since he was eight or nine and is a member of Southampton Athletic Club. He is also a student at the King Edward V1 School in Southampton.

About 1,400 runners from across Hampshire took part in the event, which started in Passfield Avenue.

The flat, fast course and near-perfect conditions raised hopes that several runners would set new personal bests.

Many of the entrants were still full of running at the finish, with some managing to produce a sudden burst of speed as they neared the line.

Others needed time to recover after the race and either sat or lay on the grass for several minutes while they got their breath back.

Several athletes waved to friends and family who were cheering them on. One man managed to complete the course despite running with his right arm in a sling.

The bulk of the runners took between 45 minutes and an hour to reach the finish.

Race organisers supplied the entrants with a huge amount of bottled water, plus mountains of organic bananas to replenish their depleted energy levels.

The race was the 36th event of its type to be staged in the town.

Runners from clubs across Hampshire and neighbouring counties competed for prizes worth nearly £3,000.

The race was followed by a 5k fun run for children aged four-12.

One of the people who took to social media to celebrate the return of the event said: "Thanks everyone for a great event, to all the marshals and volunteers who’ve helped out.

"It's great to get back to running and some normality."