VICTORIA Wilkinson overcame the "toughest course she has ever raced on" to add another medal to her glittering collection.

The Hebden distance runner battled her was to 14th place in the gruelling World Long Distance Championships at Podbrdo, Slovenia and helped Great Britain's women to take the team bronze medal.

The 42km course had two lung-busting climbs with the second one featuring 1,300 metres of ascent.

Annie Conway took the individual gold medal after a strong finish to the race while the tiring Wilkinson dropped back.

The 37-year-old Wilkinson, who completed the race in 4hrs 45min 33sec said: "It was definitely the toughest and longest race I have ever been involved in.

"The last climb was long and seemed virtually vertical. It was a measure of how tough and how long the climb was that it took me an hour and a half to run just that section of the race after I had already been running for three hours.

"It was really tough and I was glad to get to the finish. I had been running neck and neck with Annie Conway in sixth place before the climb.

"She did amazingly well to catch and pull away from the leaders as I dropped back."

Wilkinson admitted she had little left in her legs when she crossed the line as the second GB runner ahead of Helen Berry (18th) and Helen Bonsor (23rd).

And after returning home she reflected on her race preparations. "I don't think I got it right. I wasn't ready for such a punishing challenge, but that is how it goes. Sometimes you get it right and other times you don't."

The next race for Wilkinson will be the third round of the English Fell Running Championships at Sedbergh on July 3.

The defending champion currently shares the lead in the series with one win and a second place to her name.

She also plans to complete in an invitation race at Sierra Zinal in Switzerland in August.