Dynamic Duo Martin and Carla Green star in Manchester Marathon

Report by Don Hale

North Wales Road Runners Club athletes Martin and Carla Green both celebrated excellent performances in the Manchester Marathon last Sunday.

Martin finished 13th in the elite men’s race, and won his age category, whilst Carla claimed a great new PB over this distance and was third in her section.

The dynamic husband and wife duo had been training hard for this event and obviously it all paid off with two outstanding runs in this challenging race on an undulating course.

Martin was one of 35 elite athletes who were followed by a mass entry, and he certainly proved his pedigree once again, competing well throughout the event to finally finish in 13th place overall, but he won his MV45 age cat with a superb chip time of just 2 hours 30 minutes and 43 seconds.

The elite race was eventually won by Matthew Crehan (St Helens/Sutton AC) in 2.18.26, with James Donald (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers) the runner-up in 2.20.36, and Dave Barratt 3rd in 2.22.23.

Carla just dipped under the notable three-hour mark with a very determined effort, and she consequently claimed a brand-new marathon PB of 2.59.23. She was the 25th female runner and finished 3rd in her respective F45 age cat.

After the race Carla confirmed: “It was much harder and hillier than I thought. It was my first time under three-hours. I ran 3.04 in July, but I didn’t expect it this year to be honest. There was no PB for Martin, but he still had a very good run.”

Richard Eccles was another NWRRC athlete in top form at the Manchester Marathon and he was thrilled that a year of tough training helped to push him to a marathon PB of 2.57.15 in 377th place.

And local GOG athlete Craig Rutter did well to complete the race after injuring his hip at 16-miles but battled on to finish in 3.29.

*Half-Marathon race: In the half-marathon race at the same Manchester Marathon venue, Steve Roberts ran well to finish in 436th place overall in a good time of 1 hour 35 minutes and 38 seconds, with Jon Evans leading the two-hour pacemaker bus to hit the stop line right on time in 1.59.09 for 2,237th place.