RAF Lyneham station commander, Group Captain Ray Lock, may have been several thousand miles away for his station's inaugural 10km (six mile) road race last week.

But that didn't diminish his enthusiasm; he donned his running kit and raced the distance in the distant Iraqi city of Basra on the same day.

The race, which was held on a showery and blustery day in the UK, saw more than 200 local athletes take part on a set course around the airbase.

The first male to finish was Steven Paddock, of Swindon Harriers, who completed the 10km in an impressive 33 minutes and 50 seconds.

The first female runner to cross the finish line was Christine Double.

This was no simple run for her as she had travelled from Hong Kong to compete and completed the course in a time of 38 minutes and 52 seconds.

Wing Commander Guy Edwards said: "The inaugural Lyneham 10km Road Run was a testament to the team behind it.

"The feedback that has been received from the event has been such that there may well be further Lyneham 10 km races in the future."