OLYMPIC walker Andy Penn finished strongly yesterday to add his name to the long list of Church-to-Church race winners. The 39-year-old Nun-eaton Harrier passed Steyning’s Nick Ball in the latter stages to win by nearly five minutes in 2hr 33min. 38sec.

Ball, an England under-19 international, had never raced over such a long distance – 19.4 miles – and faded to place third behind the other class walker in the field, Steve Hollier of Wolverhampton and Bilston.

Given this trio, the annual walk has arguably never seen such a high standard at the head of the field in all its 70 years.

Penn, Hollier and Ball were locked together for more than a third of the race, but ultimately Penn’s class and stamina told.

‘That’s hard work, that is,’ said Penn within a couple of minutes of finishing.

‘That’s a nasty course, but beautiful at the same time,’ he added.

Penn said he was surprised Ball had challenged for so long.

‘I thought he’d last about 13 or 14 miles but it wasn’t until 16 that I caught him.

‘He’s very strong – very good on the hills.’

Penn’s winning time was the quickest since Mark Easton clocked 2-33 in 2003 and is 11min. outside the course record set by Penn’s coach, Chris Maddocks, in 1998.

The winner said it was knowledge of Maddocks’ visit to Guernsey that had led him to compete.

‘My coach has done it and I thought it would be a nice thing to do – no pressure.

‘It’s a historical race and some great walkers have done it,’ he added.

The three favourites wasted no time in pulling away from the field which included four-time winner Ed Shillabeer, champion in the past two years.

The leading trio reached St Martin’s Church in 16min. 8sec. and already had a lead of two minutes on Hillingdon’s Trevor Jones who was being kept company by 13-year-old Chris Ball, brother of Nick.

The youngster, ineligible to do the full distance, was to walk for an hour before dropping out.

At this early stage Shillabeer was sixth with Terry Bates, who was to be the first islander home, vying for eighth.

By Torteval, the top three were six minutes clear of Jones and young Stuart Le Noury was on the tail of Bates in the domestic stakes, but around the 10-mile mark Ball moved away and opened a lead of nearly a minute going into the final quarter of the race.

After 15 miles at Vale Church, Ball was still 54sec. clear but looking mightily tired.

Penn, in second, refuelled substantially at the Vale drinking station and it did him no harm.

Less than a mile along the road and up the tough climb from Vale douzaine rooms to the parish school, Ball crumbled to the extent that Penn had passed him by the top of the last hill on the course.

Thereafter there was no catching him and there was nobody to threaten the top woman, Rose Druckes, who romped to a fifth successive win and 10th all told.

She finished in five minutes over four hours, nearly three minutes clear of runner-up Jayne Le Noury.