THE men’s winner came in barely out of breath while last placed had muscles in all the wrong places – but both summed up the appeal of Sunday’s Fitness First Bournemouth Bay Run.

Around 5,000 people took part in the competitive 10km race and half-marathon, and also in the more sedate 5km run and children’s 1km race.

Postman Steve Way, 36, from Branksome won the men’s half-marathon and looked like he’d just been out for a brisk stroll despite the sunny weather.

“It’s training for the London marathon in two weeks so I couldn’t afford to go flat out,” he said somewhat sheepishly.

He contrasted with powerlifter and former Britain’s strongest man contestant Allan Lister from Devon, who decided to take part in the 10km run that morning.

The burly 37-year-old came home last and grinned: “My wife was doing the half-marathon and I decided to do this – I’ve not really done any training.”

Both captured the spirit of the annual event, which is organised by Bournemouth council’s tourism department and raises money for the British Heart Foundation.

Bournemouth friends Laura Kelly, 25, from Iford, and Laura Warriner, 26, from Westbourne, ran joined in a fake animal fur as a “double-headed snow tiger”.

Both had lost grandfathers to heart disease and Laura Kelly said: “It was really hot but apart from that it was all right. We just wanted to make people laugh.”

Some runners raised money for their own charities of choice and 15 people from Team Daisy raised more than £9,000 for Poole Hospital’s neo-natal grief unit.

Parents Emma and Nick Johnston from Branksome in Poole took part after losing their daughter Daisy on February 21.

Participants included Wimborne AC, Yeovil Town Running Club, Littledown Harriers, Serpentine Running Club, Portsmouth Joggers and many more.

Sara Rickett from Bournemouth Tourism said: “We upped the numbers for this year and it’s been a lovely day.”

Daily Echo photographer Sally Adams and reporter Harriet Marsh completed the half marathon.

Half-marathon: Men’s winner – Steve Way, Bournemouth AC, 1 hr, 12 mins, 57 secs.

Ladies’ winner – Lin Lascelles, Maiden Newton Runners, 1 hr 26 mins 35 secs.

10km: Men’s winner – Jon Sharkey, Bournemouth AC, 33 mins, 6 secs. Ladies’ winner – Rebekah Gardiner, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, 38 mins, 46 secs.