MARK BUCKINGHAM has successfully defended his British Elite Duathlon title at Prestwold Hall Airfield.

The Holmfirth Harrier finished the race just ahead of training partner Matt Gunby, winning the title for the second successive year.

After missing 10 days of training ahead of the race following a viral infection caught in South America, Buckingham showed no signs of illness, starting the race by recording the fastest split of 15.08.

The 26-year-old continued his dominance on the rest of the athletes, breaking away further from the chasing group in the early stages of the 20km bike ride.

Buckingham sprinted out of transition quickly, opening a lead of nine seconds on nearest opponent Gunby, and maintained his lead to the finish line.

Fellow Holmfirth Harriers runner Richard Anderson finished 10th, beating his time last year by a minute.

Highly-talented Holmfirth Harriers teenagers Harmonie Waterman and Lewis Byram were also in action on the day in two earlier races.

Waterman, 15, finished a respectable sixth, while 14-year-old Byram sealed a well-deserved fifth place after recording the third fastest time on the final run.

Along with Duathlon success, Buckingham has also received recognition for his abilities as a triathlete, having recently been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Triathlon Championships in Israel.