Runner who took the bus loses medal

A RUNNER cheated out of a bronze medal by a rival who jumped on the bus to finish a marathon has been awarded his prize by Olympian Steve Cram.

Steven Cairns, from Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders, was shocked when he was told he had finished fourth in the Salomon Kielder Marathon, in Northumberland, on 9 October.

The bronze medal went to Rob Sloan, 31, who at first claimed that training had made him a “much better runner”, but later admitted he hopped on a spectator bus and then completed the final section of the course.

Cram, director of the event, presented Mr Cairns, 43, with the bronze prize on an open top bus in Edinburgh yesterday.

“I think it was just a moment of madness for the guy who said he was third,” Mr Cairns said.

Cram said: “It’s been bizarre and it’s definitely not the sort of thing we planned for.

“Steven wasn’t the only one to point out how unlikely him getting into third place was.”