Nearly 9,000 people took part in the two crowning events of the Bournemouth Marathon Festival.

On a day of warm weather and challenging winds, 4,000 marathon runners and 5,000 half marathon runners pushed themselves through their respective races, bringing the running festival to a close.

Strong crowds at the Bournemouth Pier willed the runners along at the nine-and-a-half-mile stage for the half marathon, as well as the halfway stage and the 17-mile stage for the marathon, before cheering them home as they closed the finished line on Pier Approach.

James Hoad from Thames Hare won the half marathon with a time of 1:09:45, followed by local runners Poole Runner’s Sean Hogan and Robert Spencer from Bournemouth AC with times of 1:10:43 and 1:11:06 respectively.

The top three ladies in the half marathon event were Sophie Delderfield from Vale of Aylesbury AC with a time of 1:21:17, followed closely by Hart Roads Runners’ Alexa King who crossed the line at 1:21:40, and Sarah Hill from Farnham Runner who achieved a time of 1:23:43.

The winner of the Bournemouth Marathon was Lloyd Biddell from Mercia Fell Runners, who achieved a time of 2:25:48, followed by Phil Wylie from Cheltenham Harriers who came second by clocking a time of 2:33:27. Poole Runners’ member Steven Yates came third with a time of 2:41:08.

Gill Bland from Harrow AC was the fastest female athlete in the Bournemouth Marathon at 2:59:41, followed by Jen Granger which managed a time of 3:00:34, and Poole AC’s Juliet Champion who achieved a time of 3:02:58.