The spring sunshine certainly attracted the runners to last Sunday’s 35th Duchy Marathon and 8th Duchy 20, with over 450 lining up in the grounds of the Penventon Park Hotel, Redruth for the start of the race.

A trio of Newquay Road Runners led the way in the men’s race, with Rob Burnham joined by two of the club’s ‘big guns’, Shaun Milford and Ollie Gibson. By six miles, along the scenic North Cliffs road, Gibson slowed and stretched, nursing a recent injury, before rejoining his team-mates but was forced to pull out at 12 miles, only to find that Milford, who has also been affected by a longer term injury, suffered the same fate, leaving Burnham clear at the head of the field.

However, Cornwall Athletic Club's Justin Thomas, who had started more cautiously, began eating into Burnham’s lead, passing the eventual race runner up, Andy Norris, before closing in and then passing Burnham, as the long-time leader approached the 20-mile mark.

Sniffing victory, there was no stopping the Redruth paramedic, who had timed his race to perfection running more strongly than anyone over the final six miles, when many marathon runners hit the proverbial 'wall' and suffer the consequences. After the race a delighted Thomas said: “I felt good and strong today(Sunday) after the Bath Half Marathon last weekend. My fastest six miles were the last six, after I passed the leader at about 20 miles. I covered mile 25 in 5 minutes 55 and mile 26 in 5 minutes 45. Fingers crossed for the London Marathon next month.”

The Cornwall Athletic Club runner currently enjoying his best ever form, crossed the line in two hours 45 minutes 12 seconds, beating his previous fastest time on this course by a staggering 13 minutes. Thomas added: “We were certainly lucky with the conditions today, not like the usual Duchy conditions of recent years. I remember well the gale-force headwinds and hail showers along the North Cliffs.”

Burnham eventually finished fourth, also overtaken by third placed Duncan Oakes (St Austell Running Club), who was also the first veteran home.

Despite the withdrawal of Gibson and Milford, Burnham led a strong Newquay Road Runners team to victory in the team competition, beating their mid-Cornwall rivals, St Austell Running Club, by eight points, with Hayle Runners in third place.

Heather Foundling-Hawker certainly enjoys the Duchy Marathon, winning the Ladies race for the fourth time in the last five years. Honiton’s ultra distance England international was in a class of her own, finishing 11th overall, running her second fastest time on this course but well short of her 2007 course record.

For a full list of results and to see how the Falmouth Road Runners got on pick up a copy of this week's Falmouth and Penryn Packet.