MARATHON runners came to Cornwall again for the annual 26.2 mile trek around the county.

The race which is traditionally the final event of the Duchy Athletics Network season saw more than 300 people enter.

Starting outside Millennium Hall in Pensilva, the athletes progressed along the hilly course which goes around Bolventor before going down the Fowey river valley before returning to Pensilva.

Early pace set by Helston’s Paul Whear, who was part of the Carn Runners team, and Cornwall Athletics Club member Paul Smith, from Falmouth.

They led out a small breakaway group after three miles and by the time the race had reached the Jamaica Inn at the 15 mile point, Whear had opened up a 15m gap.

He then gradually built a larger distance between him and the field to claim a victory by more than three minutes, clocking a time of 2:45:37.

It was Whear’s marathon debut and he was delighted with his performance.

Whear said afterwards: “I am naturally delighted to win and as expected this marathon was certainly a very hard race.

“But I felt strong throughout and was pleased to run the second half just less than a minute slower than the first half.

“It was a good way to finish the year and it feels a bit like an early Christmas present.”

Smith also put in a fine run to finish second after moving clear of Tamar Trotters’ Mike Robinson after 18 miles.

He did suffer a bout of cramp with three miles to go, but Smith was able to find enough strength to jog round with a time of 2:48:57.

In the women’s race, last year’s joint winners Rebecca Mingo and Sarah Burns, both from Bere Alston Trekkers, looked set to fight it out again.

However, English Ultra Distance International Issy Wykes of Truro Running Club had other ideas as she gradually closing the gap on the joint leaders and eventually slipped past at 22 miles for a popular and well deserved victory.

Nicky Taylor, who runs for the Mud Crew Trail Runners, employed a similar tactic to move into second place at 23 miles, with Mingo and Burns sharing third.

Falmouth Road Runners member Robin Watson had a day to remember as well with his time of 3:23:26 securing him third place in the men’s 50-54 age category.

RESULTS KEY FOR CLUBS 100MC 100 Marathon Club, BAT Bere Alston Trekkers, BRR Bodmin Road Runners, CAC Cornwall AC, CD Chatty Daces, CR Carn Runners, ECH East Cornwall Harriers, EH Exmouth Harriers, ERC Eastleigh Running Club, EVH Erme Valley Harriers, FC Finch Coasters, F&C Fleet & Crookham AC, FRR Falmouth Road Runners, HR Hayle Runners, LRR Launceston Road Runners, MCTR Mud Crew Trail Runners, MFC Massey Ferguson, Coventry, NDRR North Devon Road Runners, NRR Newquay Road Runners, OKE Okehampton Running Club, PH Plymouth Harriers, SMS South Moulton Stragglers, SSD Shelton Striders, Derby, U Unattached.

Men: 1 Paul Whear CR 2.45.37, 2 Paul Smith CAC 2.48.57, 3 Stuart Nicholas STA 2.50.53, 4 Adrian Ball CAC 2.51.06, 5 Jordan Morant HR 2.51.30, 6 Michael Robinson TT 2.52.12, 7 George Prewett TT 2.56.50, 8 Duncan Oakes STA 2.57.08, 9 Andy Norris EVH 2.58.31, 10 Phil Montgomery-Smith STA 2.58.52.

Age Categories: Under 35: 1 Stuart Nicholas, 2 Jordan Morant, 3 Michael Robinson. 35-39: 1 Alan Williams TT 3.12.54, 2 Marcus Williams U 3.14.46, 3 Lee Burrows CAC 3.14.49. 40-44: 1 Paul Smith, 2 Andy Norris, 3 Phil Montgomery-Smith. 45-49: 1 Paul Whear, 2 Adrian Ball, 3 Duncan Oakes. 50-54: 1 Mark Dorrell CR 3.13.46, 2 Ben Heieber NRR 3.19.21, 3 Robin Watson FRR 3.23.26. 55-59: 1 David Wright EH 3.30.26, 2 Nick Holmes F&C 3.33.46, 3 Martin Morgan BRR 3.41.35. 60-64: 1 Peter Rogers U 4.17.15, 2 Dave Endean STA 4.22.58, 3 Dave Rashleigh U 4.26.05. 65-69: 1 Pat Lockett NRR 3.45.17, 2 Alan Littlejohns LRR 4.23.43, 3 Ray Frith NRR 5.15.35. 70-74: 1 Danny Kaye 100MC 4.26.28, 2 David Phillips MFC 5.35.00. Teams: 1 St Austell Running Club 35 points, 2 Hayle Runners 65 points, 3 Cornwall AC 67 points.

Ladies: 1 Issy Wykes TRC 3.20.36, 2 Nicky Taylor MCTR 3.22.11, 3= Rebecca Mingo BAT 3.25.03, 3= Sarah Burns BAT 3.25.03, 5 Diane Roy ECH 3.27.00, 6 Melonie Jewett ERC 3.28.53, 7 Jane Allison PH 3.31.11, 8 Emma Murray STA 3.32.29, 9 Samantha Lake BAT 3.35.26, 10 Julia Pearce CAC 3.38.11.

Age Categories: Under 35: 1 Rebecca Mingo, 1= Sarah Burns, 3 Janna Eyre CR 3.41.23. 35-39: 1 Issy Wykes, 2 Nicky Taylor, 3 Samantha Lake. 40-44: 1 Melonie Jewett, 2 Jane Allison, 3 Pascale Holden SSD 3.40.02. 45-49: 1 Emma Murray, 2 Alison Little CD 4.02.29, 3 Andrea Spencer-Smith HR 4.06.09. 50-54: 1 Diane Roy, 2 Claire Campbell SMS 3.45.46, 3 Jane Lockyer ECH 3.56.09. 55-59: 1 Jane Bremner TT 3.39.43, 2 Marilyn Cooper OKE 4.18.39. 60-64: 1 Diane Parker NDRR 4.41.15. 65-69: 1 Jenny Mills LRR 4.18.49, 2 Cheryll Leach LRR 5.24.32. 70+: 1 Patricia Seabrook FC 6.08.09. Teams: 1 Bere Alston Trekkers 52 points, 2 East Cornwall Harriers 83 points, 3 St Austell Running Club 86 points.