Big north-west of England event kicks off our weekend UK-wide endurance racing round-up.

ADIDAS MANCHESTER MARATHON, April 19

Frenchman Yohan Lidove won overall in a personal best 2:15:19 from veteran Will Strangeway’s 2:15:43, a performance that was not only his second marathon of the year but also a lifetime best by well over two minutes at the age of 40.

Along with Charlie Brisley, Alex Carter and Norman Shreeve they were through the 10km marker in 32:03 and after 15km (48:16) only Shreeve had dropped off of the lead pace.

The others were still together at the half-marathon distance with Strangeway just showing ahead at 68:05.

Then it was Brisley who led, along with Lidove, on the approach to the 30km board and the pair, with Carter in tow, went 10 seconds clear of Strangeway, as the clock showed 95:58.

At 35km, Lidove and Brisley were still disputing the lead as Strangeway and Carter were together at 1:52:26.

Whilst Lidove went on to take the race with a strong finish, Brisley had no answer to Strangeway’s last few kilometres, as the Lincoln Wellington 40-year-old found a second gear and took the silver medal position.

In the women’s race, Naomi Robinson was ahead for most of the race despite a spirited challenge from Heather Townsend but the Leeds W35 was never really in contact and finished nearly a minute down in 2:37:42.

It was BRAT’s Robinson who claimed her second Manchester Marathon title in 2:36:56, after having previously won in 2023.

Overall: 1 Y Lidove (FRA) 2:15:19; 2 W Strangeway (Linc W, M40) 2:15:43; 3 C Brisley (NEB) 2:16:04; 4 A Carter (T Bath) 2:16:26; 5 N Shreeve (C&C) 2:17:26; 6 P Roddy (THH) 2:19:26; 7 C Sarsfield (Helsby) 2:19:35; 8 J Holman (Norw) 2:21:01; 9 S Roberts (Retford) 2:21;22; 10 C Davidson (Salf) 2:21;53; 11 G Ravenhall (Aire) 2:22:05; 12 M Kallenberg (Swan) 2:22:26; 13 C Newnham (Ryde) 2:22:43; 14 M Brown (Salf) 2:23:10; 15 R Payne (Clee) 2:23:58

M40: 2 T Cornthwaite (Salf) 2:24:15; 3 T Charles (Chorl) 2:25:32; 4 M Thackwray (Ilk) 2:26:47

M50: 1 G O’Hanlon (Clonliffe) 2:26:37

M55: 1 J Walton (Leeds) 2:38:19; 2 D Parkin (Leeds) 2:36:37

M60: 1 R McGrath (N Masters) 2:51:56

Women: 1 N Robinson (BRAT) 2:36:57; 2 H Townsend (Leeds, W35) 2:37:42

W40: 1 L Flynn (Les C) 2:44;23

W50: 1 S Shedden (Win R) 2:55:53

W55: 1 T Medley (Border) 3:08:56; 2 J Johnson (Launc) 3:09:19

W60: 1 J Ward (Sedgley) 3:15:48

W65: 1 N Haggart (Bed H) 3:31:07

COVENTRY HALF-MARATHON, West Midlands, April 19

Overall: 1 A Lazenby (CoH) 71:03

M40: 1 K Fairbank (I&I) 72:24

Women: 1 E Watters (Bir) 87:45

W50: 1 S Rose 90:45

NORTHSTOWE HALF-MARATHON, Cambridge, April 19

Overall: 1 C Anderson (Kent) 71:01; 2 M Sampson (Hunts) 71:12; 3 B Jones (C&C) 71:34

Women; 1 G Ruddy (W35) 89:01

BRISTOL TRACK CLUB 5km, Bath, Somerset, April 18

Kadar Omar, who had set a personal best 13:44 for the distance in a Podium event a month earlier, was just outside that mark with 13:48 after handing out a defeat to Jonathan Escalante-Phillips, in the third wave of starters in this graded meeting.

For the women, who raced in wave two, Rebecca Flaherty smashed her previous best by 23 seconds, with 15:56 after heading Esme Davies’ 16:06.

The controversial new young athletes' age regulations, that upended all of the historic ranking lists, were brought into play and, among the men, under-16 Theo Creed ran 15:20 and under-18 Tom Loughlin clocked 14:46.

Flaherty was previously deemed to be an under-20 but the new regulations declare her to be a senior.

Men (Wave 3): 1 K Omar (Bir) 13:48; 2 J Escalante-Phillips (C&C) 14:02; 3 A Barber (Harb) 14:08; 4 D James (W Tempo) 14:19; 5 T Chandler (AFD) 14:19; 6 J Cornish (HW) 14:20; 7 R Serif (Belg) 14:25; 8 T Doran (AFD) 14:26; 9 R Harvie (Brack) 14:28; 10 S Moakes (Unsanc) 14:21; 11 B Felton (Chelm) 14:38; 12 M Roostaei (Ports) 14:38

M40: 1 M Battenby (B&W) 15:12

U18: 1 T Loughlin (T Bath) 14:46

U16: 1 T Creed (HW) 15:20; 2 O Cobbold (Swan) 15:25

Overall (Wave 2): 1 C Booth (Swan) 15:48

M60: 1 J James (Wells) 16:57; 2 M Robinson (B&W) 17:58

Women: 1 R Flaherty (Bing) 15:56; 2 E Davies (Border) 16:06; 3 C Baker (B&W, W35) 16:09; 4 R Ramierez (TVH) 16:19; 5 K O’Neill (Hav’g) 16:20; 6 J Leggate (C&C) 16:26; 7 B Boyce (Card, U18) 16:27; 8 M Marchant (W Tempo) 16:31; 9 I Harrison (HW, U18) 16:48; 10 H Andrejczuk ((THH) 16:50

Overall (Wave 1, selected)

W50: 1 V Ratcliffe (T Bath) 19:11; 2 T Hinxman (Glouc) 19:44

W55: 1 J Rockliffe (W Tempo) 18:38; 2 C Jolliffe (B^W) 20:23; 3 S Everitt (B&W) 21:04

CHESTER SPRING 5, Cheshire, April 15

Overall: 1 L Morris (W Chesh) 25:02; 2 T Charles (Chorl, M40) 25:06; 3 A Doyle (Vale R) 25:07

M40: 2 N Barry (Sale) 26:04

M45: 1 M Gittins (Helsby) 26:34

M55: 1 P Hancock (S Chesh) 29:24

M60: 1 C Hollinshead (C&S) 30:39

Women: 1 G Stanfield (Trenth) 28:45; 2 L Lee (Penny L) 29:16

W40: 1 N Reece (Wilms) 30:07

W45: 1 F Kenny (Wilms) 32:38

W50: 1 S Harrison (Wilms) 33:33; 2 D Bygrave (Wilm) 35:09

W55: 1 D Broad (Vale R) 35:48

W60: 1 C Higgs (Trenth) 34:45

HEREFORD COURIERS 5km SPRING SERIES, April 15

Overall: 1 H White (Here, U20) 15:22

M55: 1 C Stainton (Warley) 17:58

M60: 1 J Mower (W Tempo) 18:42

M75: 1 A Daley (Glouc) 22:51

Women: 1 L Hillary (W Tempo, U18) 18:47

W55: 1 M Bowley (Here) 21:23

 

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RUN EXE SUMMER 5km, Exeter, Devon, April 14

Overall: 1 N Avery (Halden) 15:34

M40: 1 B Neale (Tav) 15:45

M55: 1 T Wright (Corn) 17:16

M60: 1 P Monaghan (Torbay) 17:26

Women: 1 L Knox (Storm Plym) 17:34

W60: 1 S Capstick (R forever) 23:20