Thames Hare & Hounds’ Stuart Major headed home a 400-plus strong field in sweltering heat to retain his Dysart Dash 10km road running title at Ham on Sunday morning.

Epsom & Ewell’s Will Clark, with Belgrave Harriers’ Kenyan John Kimaiyo, had set the pace for the first 3km before Major and Thames team-mate Andy Weir took control.

At the half-way point in Riverside Drive, Major opened up a narrow lead on Weir, which he extended to almost 100m by the finish.

Major crossed the finishing line in 32 minutes 36 seconds, six seconds faster than his winning time last year.

“It was a bit warmer than I expected, but I don’t mind the heat that much – although it does make it harder,” said Major after the event, which doubled up as the Surrey 10km road running championships.

“I wasn’t worried about the time – I was just trying to win the race and when I looked at the field I thought I had a good chance.”

Major’s best time for the event was 32:04, set in winning the race in 2006, and he also clocked 32:38 in finishing second the previous year.

He said that although the course was relatively flat it was not the fastest because a gravel section on the Thames towpath slowed runners down.

With Weir second (32:53) and Simon Baines seventh (34:10), Thames took the team title with 10 points from Belgrave (33) and Clapham Chasers (48).

For Belgrave, Kimaiyo was third (33:08) , with Will Cockerell fith (33:17).

Nick Hodges of Dorking & Mole Valley was fourth (33:11), with Stragglers’ Jimmy Goulis sixth (33:39), early leader Clark eighth (34:23) and Clapham Chasers’ Neil Aitken ninth (35:08).

Darryl McDonald was first finisher for Ranelagh in 13th (35:08), with Jonathan Robinson (37:20) the virst veteran over-50, but top runner Jonty Stacey was among many who floundered in the heat.

Tadworth’s Geoff Newton was first over-60 (39:46).

Jess Petersson, winner of the Richmond half-marathon in May, won the women’s race (37:17).

Ranelagh’s Jo Ronaldson was second (39:05) ahead of Thames’ Liz Stavreski (39:15) and Serpentine’s Maria McConnaughey (39:22).

With Marie Synnott-Wells fifth (39:26) and Sara Gros-venor 10th (40:35), Ranelagh took team honours with 17 points from Stragglers (28) and Clapham Chasers (31).

Epsom & Ewell’s Jane Davies was first over-55 woman (43:01) beating all the over-45 veterans who were led home by Thames Hare and Hounds’ Anna Garnier (44:08).