THE second running of the YORKSHIRE MARATHON drew over 3,700 competitors to York.

The race claims to be faster than Chicago and Berlin, although the winning times were ten minutes slower.

First person home was Bret Crossley, a wheelchair athlete, in 2hr 11min 8sec. Behind him were about 20 invited athletes, including several East Africans, chasing a prize pot of £12,000.

Shona Fletcher of Richmond & Zetland AC was the best lady in 16th overall, clocking 2:43:40. She held off Bayrush Shiferaw of Ethiopia by a good 80 seconds.

Fletcher ran cleverly, with a negative split, whereas Shiferaw passed halfway almost six minutes ahead but fell back sharply later.

Boniface Kongin had a margin of two minutes over fellow Kenyan runner Cosmas Kigen, winning in 2:14:00. Londoner Paul Martelletti was first Briton in 2:18:45, having set off sensibly.

Skyrac's David Stoneman was 36th in 2:49:44, while Bradfordian Hannah Oldroyd was fifth woman in a personal best of 2:52:14.

Bingley's Adam Worrallo broke three hours in 2:58:32 (chip time).

Meanwhile, Andy Peake of Burley-in-Wharfedale achieved a spectacular lifetime best in 2:58:58 in Sunday's race.

Peake only took up running a few years ago and has been training with the Bradford Athletics Network's enhanced training programme on Mondays and Wednesdays at Bradford and Keighley.

Several Saltaire Striders athletes achieved excellent times, particularly Stuart Dunbar (3:06:12) and Simon Frazer (3:15:55).

The SportsShare social enterprise, set up in 2011 to gain sustainable funding for clubs in the Bradford Athletics Network, was awarded a prize at the ENGLAND ATHLETICS ANNUAL AWARDS evening at Ossett.

Outgoing county co-ordinator Lucy Archer made a film praising all the projects SportsShare has undertaken.

One of these is the forthcoming BRADFORD CITY RUNS. As of Monday, 824 runners had entered, with 111 registering in the past week.

Over 1,000 people look likely to take part in the four events on Sunday, October 26 – a kids' mile, 5K, 10K and half-marathon, all in aid of the Crocus Cancer Appeal.

Meanwhile, 900 places went within 24 hours for the CHEVIN CHASE on Boxing Day. Only a few places now remain.