Edinburgh Marathon in pictures

Published on Monday 24 May 2010 09:53

THOUSANDS of runners took part in a thrilling Edinburgh Marathon which was won just a few hundred yards from the finishing line after the race leader pulled up with cramp.

• Xavier Bertran, centre – who travelled all the way from Spain.

Hundreds of spectators enjoyed yesterday's sunny weather, lining the pavements along the route as well as at the finishing line at Musselburgh Racecourse. Some runners struggled in temperatures of up to 23C, but there was no repeat of last year's problems which saw water supplies stolen by thieves on the night before the race.

But the event was hit by tragedy when a 52-year-old man, who was running as part of a four-person relay team, collapsed and later died.

• Team Quatro Ciao warm up on Regent Road

More than 9,000 runners completed the marathon, out of 14,000 registered entrants. A further 3,741 took part in the half marathon.

Many of the entrants ran for charity, helping to raise millions for more than 200 good causes.

• Samantha Ware heads along Leith Links

The race was won by 36-year-old joiner Steve Littler from Lancashire in a time of two hours, 26 minutes and 31 seconds, but only after he overtook race leader Phil Hinch on the approach to the finishing line.

• Two runners in high spirits at the start

Mr Hinch, who finished with a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 47 seconds, had led for much of the race, but pulled up with cramp and was forced to stop to take on water before completing the course.

Mr Littler, who had pulled out of this year's London Marathon with an injury, said: "There was a two-minute gap and I thought the race was over. Then I was told by a spectator that Hinch had stopped and that there was only a minute between us.

• The runners arrive along the seafront

"I just kept working at it, but at about the 25-mile mark I still thought the gap between us was to big. I knew he was struggling, so I just kept coming back at him. It was my dream to be in the top three, but I'm absolutely over the moon to have won."

Mr Hinch, running his first marathon, said he had "probably gone out a little bit too fast".

The third-placed man was David Bird in 2 hours, 31 minutes and six seconds.

The fastest woman to finish the course was Sarah Gee, a 46-year-old medical writer from Reading, who ran the course in two hours, 38 minutes and 16 seconds.

• The runners feel the strain

She was followed by Julie Briscoe, a staff nurse at Barnsley Hospital, who was running her first marathon.

• Callum Reid from Haddington raises his arms as he nears the finish line

Nicola Duncan, 28, an actuary from Edinburgh, who was also running a marathon for the first time, was in third place.

• Stuart Murdoch jumps for joy at the finish

Event marketing manager Damien O'Looney, said the organisers were delighted by the success of the event.

He said: "It's gone really well, despite the heat. . People have really enjoyed themselves."