Weekly endurance racing round-up includes big 26.2-miler in Northern Ireland plus the Newcastle-Gateshead Marathon and more.

BELFAST CITY MARATHON, Northern Ireland, May 2

Ethiopians Abay Alemu and Tadesse Mamo dominated and could only be split by one hundredth of a second at the front of the event as both were given 2:16:24.

The pair moved clear in the closing stages before a sprint finish saw Alemu break the tape in first place. "I'm very happy and the people were very nice," said Alemu: “The weather was very cold and the pace was not good but the feeling is nice."

Behind, a third Ethiopian Abera Ketema was a minute down as Swansea’s Josh Griffiths was the first Brit in 2:18:01 as fifth placed Jonathan Cornish set a personal best at 2:19:38.

For the women, Morocco’s World Mountain Cup runner Aziza Selsouli came out on top in 2:38:00.

 

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Overall: 1 A Alemu (ETH) 2:16:24; 2 T Mamo (ETH) 2:16:24; 3 A Ketema (ETH) 2:17:38; 4 J Griffiths (Swan) 2:18:01; 5 J Cornish (HW) 2:19:28; 6 C Purcella (USA) 2:21:36; 7 J Turner (B&H) 2:22:57; 8 A Hanlon 2:23:58; 9 J Doherty (Finn V, M40: 2:27:00; 10 P McColl (RRC) 2:28:23

Women: 1 A Selsouli (MAR) 2:38:00; 2 J Storm (Derry, W35) 2:39:09

MK MARATHON & HALF Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, May 4

Overall (26.2M): 1 M Elbayan (Lut) 2:25:36; 2 S Tuttle (Mil K) 2:32:12; 3 S Buckle (St Alb, M40) 2:32:56

Women: 1 G Carter (Serp, W35) 2:51:32

W55: 1 W Chapman (Sund Str) 3:08:54

Overall (13.1M): 1 L Stopford (Stroud, M40) 68:16; 2 J Moynihan (Ely) 68:21; 3 N Coyle (Stroud) 68:28; 4 J Davies (Dac) 69:48

M65: 1 D Darnell (Hunts) 94:05

Women: 1 A Gabb (Dac, W40) 82:33; 2 P Canwell (Redway, W40) 82:43

W65: 1 L Hembury (Tring) 1:41:22

W70: 1 B Stevens (Mansf) 1:43:43

NEWCASTLE GATESHEAD MARATHON, HALF & 10km, Tyne & Wear, May 3

Paul Peters won the marathon in 2:31:23, while Glenn Reay added the 13.1-mile event in 71:27, as the Tyneside series of event unfolded.

Overall (26.2M): 1 P Peters (Sale) 2:31:23; 2 T Backhouse (Low Fell) 2:31:43

Women: 1 A Linskey 3:09:30

Overall (13.1M): 1 G Reay 71:27

M45: 1 A Heppell (Gosf) 73:29

M50: 1 J Richardson (NSP) 77:21

Women: 1 L Thompson (York, W35) 80:23

W50: 1 A Dargie 93:20

Overall (10km): 1 M Robson (Elvet) 33:40

Women: 1 L Choke 46:20

BRECKLAND 10km, Thetford, Norfolk, May 4

Overall: 1 N Adams (NNBR, M45) 32:45

M65: 1 J Moore (Norf G) 39:13

Women: 1 L Franklin (St Ed) 39:34

W60: 1 A Ransome (L Goat) 43:28

SHINFIELD 10km, Berkshire, May 4

Overall: 1 D Hawkins 31:47

Women: 1 L Locks (AFD, W45) 37:37

WITHAM MAY DAY 10, Essex, May 4

Overall: 1 N Filer (Col H, M40) 54:27

M60: 1 P Spowage (Col H) 63:36

Women: 1 M Liu (S’field) 72:38

GREAT BIRMINGHAM RUN 10km, West Midlands, May 3

Overall: 1 F Fielding 31:24

M55: 1 J Jennings (Knowle & D) 37:54

Women: 1 R Gifford (Leam) 35:04; 2 C Smith 35:25; 3 C Hammett (THH) 35:57

W50: 1 C Hay (Mansf) 37:48

GREAT EAST ANGLIA 10km, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, May 3

Overall: 1 J Holman (Norw) 30:40; 2 M Bunn (W Norf) 32:07; 3 A Mussey (Col H, M50) 32:52

W50: 2 B Corleys (B’field) 33:52

M60: 1 S Roberts (Boston Tri) 39:15

Women: 1 L Finch (Bure) 35:29; 2 L Mapp (Hunts) 36:19

IPSWICH TWILIGHT 5km, Suffolk, May 3

There were close battles in both the men’s and women’s races before Poppy Tank and Ben Felton narrowly prevailed over Callum Charleston and Amelia Quirk.

For women’s winner Tank, who got home by two ticks in 15:38 and it was a personal best by six seconds, beating her time from December 31st 2024 in one of the Podium series races.

English National cross-country silver medallist Quirk was having her first run out on the roads this year and her 15:40 return was seven seconds outside her year-old best performance.

Overall: 1 B Felton (Chelms) 14:32; 2 C Charleston (AFD,) 14:34; 3 M Snowden (Ips H) 14:38; 4 M Clark (Norw) 14:39; 5 D Evans (SB) 14:43; 6 J Morley (ol H) 14:45

M45: 1 G Crush (Norw) 16:03

M60: 1 C Ridley (Col H) 17:59

M65: 1 R Harvey (Fram) 19:52

M70: 1 J Haynes (B Stort) 20:29

TEAM: 1 Ipswich H 20

Women: 1 P Tank (Plym) 15:38; 2 A Quirk (Brack) 15:40; 3 D Glover (Fram) 16:05; 4 Maddie Jordan-Lee (AFD) 16:07; 5 L Wellstead (Vol H) 16:08; 6 M Smith (Herne H) 16:20; 7 G Kersey (Bas) 16:31; 8 Millie Jordan-Lee (AFD) 16:37

W40: 1 K Vargeson (L Goat) 17:42

W45: 1 R Jones (Help) 19:10

W50: 1 A Oakman Col H) 20:24

W60: 1 V Jennings (Ips J) 23:08

W70: 1 J Morgan (St Ed) 23:28

TEAM: 1 Colchester H 35

MELMERBY 10km, Ripon, North Yorkshire, May 3

Overall: 1 M Creasey (Mandale) 31:33; 2 A Styanley (H’gate, U20) 31:39

M50: 1 C Jones (R&Z) 33:35

M60: 1 P Peacock (Thirsk & S) 38:54

Women: 1 N Robinson (H’gate, U20) 38:24

W55: 1 A Spencer (Valley St) 41:22

W60: 1 J Johnson (Peni) 43:38

MK ROCKET 5km, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, May 3

Overall: 1 J Prior (Bed C) 14:57; 2 T Blunt (Shrews) 15:26

M50: 1 K White (Mil K) 16:22

M60: 1 J Loxley (Redway) 18:49

Women: 1 A Gabb (Dac, W40) 17:42

W50: 1 J Mills (Redway) 20:34

W55: 1 W Chapman (Sund Str) 20;28

W60: 1 J Loxley (Redway) 20:56

RUN FRIMLEY 10km, Surrey, May 3

Sarah Gee, 62, won the women’s race overall in 38:41. The British 10 mile and half-marathon W60 fastest ever said: “On this hilly course, I was pleased with the pace given the elevation and it is part of my strategy to get faster before doing the marathon again.”

Overall: 1 D Quinlan 34:24

Women: 1 S Gee (Windle, W60) 38:41

SALTASH HALF-MARATHON, Cornwall, May 3

Overall: 1 T Brooks (Teign, M45) 78:41

Women: 1 C Peers (Soton) 84:43

SOUTHAMPTON MARATHON, Hampshire, May 3

Overall: 1 A Greenleaf (Win RC, M40) 2:32;18

Women: 1 M Dominy 2:56:51

VICTORIA PARK 10km, London, May 3

Overall: 1 A Barnes (Lon H, M40) 33:35

Women: 1 Z Oldfield (Lought, W45) 37:14

WORTHING RUN FEST HALF-MARATHON, West Sussex, May 3

Overall: 1 R Hoyte (Phoe) 70:01; 2 P Maher 70:10

Women: 1 L Ramirez (Arena) 87:30

W55: 1 S McDonald (S Lon) 95:10; 2 L Albrecht (Arun) 95:23

YMCA FUN RUN 5, Reigate, Surrey, May 3

Overall: 1 G Roux 29:50

Women: 1 G Bruinvels (AFD, W35) 30:45

W60: 1 A Smith (S Lon) 34:54

MOTAVATION SERIES, Race 1, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Oxfordshire, April 30

The new five-race series began with a victory for Oxford City’s Duncan Lawrence but his club were again well beaten by local rivals Abingdon.

For the women, last year’s series winner Lieben Dickens was comfortably headed by Witney Road Runners’ improving Isabel Stubbs, but Headington Road Runners again won the women’s team.

Overall (5M 346yds): 1 D Lawrence (Oxf C) 27:13; 2 A Herbert (Cher) 27:36; 3 M Lock (Wit) 27:42

M50: 1 P Fernandez (Abing) 29:19; 2 L Newell (Abing) 29:47

M60: 1 B Reynolds (THH) 32:32; 2 M Slevin (Head RR) 33:23

M70: 1 P Gregory (Voa) 34:07; 2 B Vaughan (Oxf C) 35:44

TEAM (6 to score): 1 Abingdon 87; 2 Alhester 142; 3 Abingdon B 174

Women: 1 I Stubbs (Wit) 31:45; 2 L Dickens (Head RR) 32:15; 3 S Giles (Alch) 33:51

W40: 1 K Danniels (Eynsh) 34:40

W50: 1 S Howard (Wit) 35:57; 2 S Davies (Oxf C) 37:02

W60: 1 V Woodward (Abbey) 38:19

TEAM (6 to score): 1 Head RR 81; 2 Witney 97; 3 Woodstock 132

GREAT YARMOUTH PROMENADE 5, Norfolk, April 29

Overall: 1 C Reynolds (G Yar) 26:56

M65: 1 J Moore (Norf G) 31:26

Women: 1 L Finch (Bure, W35) 28:56

EAST HULL HARRIERS’ SPROATLEY 6, Humberside, April 28

Overall: 1 L Sudderby (E Hull) 31:22

M50: 1 S Bateson 32:09

Women: 1 R Allen (E Hull) 40:28