It was another Kenyan double in the Brighton Marathon and a triumph for Worthing runners, Chris Thomson and Sarah Kingston who led the Sussex runners home in both men’s and women’s races.
Conditions were generally good though a little breeze took the edge of some times while it was a little warm as the race progressed, and the pace was not quite good enough to set a course record.
Duncan Maiyo led a group of African athletes home and they filled the first five places with Maiyo breaking clear of his better known Kenyan athletes to win by well over one minute in 2:10:15 ahead of Dominic Kangor 2:11:52 and Mutai Kipkemei 2:14:41.
The little known Joseph Morwood led the British runners home in sixth place in 2:32:11 with a jubilant Chris Thomson (Worthing) finishing in seventh place in 2:32:57.
Thomson, who had finished third in his debut run over the distance in the first running of the “Brighton” in 2010 has spent the past three years struggling with Achilles problems, which at one time threatened to put a stop to his athletic career. Although eight minutes slower than his 2010 run he was more than pleased to have survived Sunday’s race in one piece.
Club mate Darryl Hards had a brilliant run to finish eighth in 2:33:31 while Dave Carter (Phoenix) clocked 2:44:21, M.Greet (Horsham J) 2:48:14 and veteran Mats Gedin (Arena 80) ran well to finish in the Top Twenty placing 17th in 2:46:26.
In the women’s race debutant Pennina Wanjuri clocked 2:34:25 to win from Lishan Dula who was timed 2:34:55 with another Kenyan, Eunic Kales clocking 2:53:50 in third place.
Sarah Kingston from Worthing was the first British finisher chopping several minutes off her previous best to finish fourth in 2:56:01 placing 52nd overall while Sue Fry from Hailsham removed ten minutes off her previous best finishing seventh in 3:08:19 and Katherine O’Hara was the third Sussex runner home in 3:11:13.
There were some fast times at the front of the 10km race, which had preceded the Marathon, with Jonny Taylor (Morpeth) having a fine battle with Adam Hickey (Southend) before winning in 29:13, to 29:18 to set the fastest time in Britain this year with Hickey equalling the previous fastest.
The Scots runner Callum Hawkins placed third in 29:21 to prevent Ben Tickner (Brighton Phoenix) who clocked 29:26 getting amongst the medals.
Five more Sussex runners claimed a place in the Top Twenty with Jon Pepper and Ross Skelton (Phoenix) placing 13th and 14th in 31:05 and 31:16 respectively with Kevin Rojas (Brighton & Hove) finishing 16th in 31:20, Neil Boniface (Horsham Jog) 18th in 31:32 and Max Dumbrell (Brighton & Hove) 19th in 32:32.
Veteran Graeme Gooden, who had run the second fastest long leg for the Brighton & Hove team in the National Road Relay championship in Birmingham the day before finished 22nd in 33:43.
A high class women’s field saw Steph Twell (Aldershot) beat title holder Ally Dixon (Sunderland) clocking 32:49 to 33:39 with Olympian Helen Clitheroe (Preston) in third place in 34:10.
Kim Lo (Haywards Heath) and Brittany Saville (Worthing) were, I believe the leading Sussex women in 58th and 66th positions in 30:03 and 39:32.