ILFORD Walking Club s Scott Davis successfully defended his UK National 50k Race Walking Championships crown in fine style. Davis was also there to defend a sequence of four consecutive victories in this event, but he had to overcome stern tests in the sh

ILFORD Walking Club's Scott Davis successfully defended his UK National 50k Race Walking Championships crown in fine style.

Davis was also there to defend a sequence of four consecutive victories in this event, but he had to overcome stern tests in the shape of Christer Svensson of Sweden, who had represented his country in the World Cup in Russia last year, and Redcar's Paul Evennett.

A closely-fought tussle ensued between the three men before Davis won in a time of 4:30.38, with Svensson second in 4:47.28 and Evenett third in 4:51.59.

With this victory Davis is set to go into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame as the winner of the National 50k title for five consecutive years, a feat equalled by only Harold Whitlock, the Olympic gold medallist in this event in Berlin in 1936.

This sequence of wins has also been surpassed by only one other athlete - Don Thompson, Olympic gold medallist in this event in the Rome Olympics of 1960.