VICKY Heys made up more than two minutes on her rivals to win the Padiham Aquathlon.

The eventual winner climbed out of the pool in third place but showed of her running skills to beat Sally Handford by just 10 seconds.

It was an impressive win for Heys who was fourth in last year’s event while Handford had to settle for her second consecutive runners-up spot.

Eleanor Sharp was quickest in the 600m swim at Padiham Leisure Centre in 8minutes 29 seconds, followed by Handford (8mins 49 secs) and then Heys (11mins 08secs).

But Heys showed her rivals a clean pair of heels on the 7.5km course in and around the town, finishing in 38mins 51 secs – two and a half minutes faster than the chasing pack.

She clocked a combined time of 49mins 59secs with Handford second in 50mins 09secs and Sharp third with a combined time of 53mins 14secs.

It was a similar story in the men’s event but this time, Robert Hornby’s success on the road was even more emphatic.

Hornby also climbed out of the pool in third place but blew the field away in the run, clocking a time more than 10 minutes faster than anyone else.

He was third in the swim in 10mins 16 second but stormed past Nick Williams and Mark Harder to clock 23mins 59secs for a combined time of 34mins 15secs.

Williams clocked 9mins 20secs in the pool and 34mins 25secs on the road for an overall time of 43mins 45secs.

Harder was quickest in the pool in 9mins, finished the run in 35mins 57secs to finished third in 44mins 57secs.