Nicola, fourth British woman home at the London Marathon, edged the award ahead of kickboxing world title holder Jamie Knox and young motor racing champion Craig Dolby.

The event was our biggest and best yet with a new venue at Brooksby Hall and a special guest speaker and compere Ivan Gaskell.

Ivan recalled some of his career highlights which began making tea for the newsroom at BBC Radio Derby on his way to a decade with BBC East Midlands Today.

Most recently he is 10 years down the line as BBC TV as a sports reporter, interviewing some of the world's greatest footballers.
But he emphasised his enduring fondness for grass roots sport and displayed it with quickfire interviews with all of our winners.

Of the winners, Down's Syndrome swimmer Richard Hudson retained the Sportsman of the Year award, while Becki Rimmington won her second straight Sportswoman of the Year accolade.

Melton Foxes JFC's Bernie Gackowski was the first winner of our new Clubman of the Year award after a landslide of votes, while Melton RFC junior coach David Postle was Coach of the Year.

Melton Foxes picked up their second award when their Under 17s picked up the Team of the Year award, while Melton Swimming Club's Diddy A team edged the junior version in this year's closest vote.

England international Stuart Broad picked up Cricketer of the Year, and the footballer equivalent went to last year's Holwell Sports Under 18s captain, Mike Hendey.

Up-and-coming archer David Phillips is the 2007 Junior Sportsman of the Year, while promising footballer Ashleigh Plumptre was Junior Sportswoman.