ALYSON DIXON was Great Britain's highest finisher in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen on Saturday.

Dixon, from Sunderland, finished 18th in the women’s race in a time of 70:37, a personal best by over 40 seconds.

Dixon was followed home by teammate Susan Partridge who placed 40th in 73:15 while in the men’s race Ben Moreau (Ken Green) ran a time of 64:08 to finish 64th.

Dixon, 35, who was third in the Reading half marathon last month, was part of the GB & NI team for this event when it was held in Birmingham in 2009 but was 27 places higher this time around and was delighted with her performance.

She said: “This week leading up to the race I’d felt really sluggish and woke up yesterday with a bit of a sore throat, so I was starting to doubt myself a bit. But I got out there and didn’t look at my watch until I could see the clock at the finish line.

“I had an idea I was on for a quick time from the athletes around me but I had no idea on the position. Groups were coming back to me which happens in major championships and I was moving through.

"The target was top 20 and I’ve just done that; I wasn’t concentrating on my time but to run a big PB – I can’t ask for much more than that.”