A RUNNER said he was looking forward to a fry-up with his family after winning the Brighton Half Marathon.
Ross Skelton claimed his first victory at the annual race with a time of 01:07:48.
The 28-year-old, from Hastings, said the 13.1-mile race felt “tough” at times, but was thrilled that he was able to pull away on the home stretch to claim the victory.
Ross told The Argus: “It was tough out there today. From Hove back it was very, very tough so times went out the window today.
“But it’s good to break up the year’s training. I’m getting ready for a marathon, and I know Brighton’s quite a prestigious course so it’s nice to get out there today, and if the wind hadn’t been too bad, it probably would have been a really nice day.
“The atmosphere was fantastic. There were loads of spectators at every step of the course.
“I don’t think there was a spot where there weren’t people watching. It definitely helped me push on when the miles got tough.”
Ross, who runs with Hastings based athletic club HY Runners, said he didn’t have any big celebrations planned and was just looking forward to spending time with his loved ones.
He said: “I’ll probably go and grab a coffee with my parents and my family, and I think we’ll probably go and grab a fry up in all honesty.”
Ross was closely across the finish line by Marshall Smith (01:08:18) and Simon Heath (01:08:58).
Among the women, Charlotte Ragan from Basingstoke claimed her first Brighton Half Marathon win in front of a packed-out crowd.
She crossed the line in a time of 01:19:14.
Charlotte said she had been battling for third place throughout the majority of the race, but the strong wind on the final seafront stretch propelled her to the finish line.
She said: “It feels so amazing. I wasn't expecting to win so it was quite a nice surprise. I was battling for third until the last mile when I managed to take the lead.
“I just saved a bit of energy so when we hit the wind, I was able to just push ahead and with everyone cheering it was brilliant. I will definitely be back.”
Among the non-elite runners was comedians Zoe Lyons and Joe Wilkinson.
The Brighton-based stars were among the thousands of people to complete the race.
Richard King, who lives in Seven Dials, said he had been preparing for the race for months by running through Hove and along the seafront.
The 25-year-old said he was “chuffed” with his finish time of 01:39:13.
He said: “The last little bit when all the wind was blowing in your face was really hard but it overall it was a lovely day for it. The sun was perfect.
“I’ve never ran an official half marathon event before so I’m very happy with it. I’m running the marathon in a couple of months’ time, but I would definitely do this event again.”
The event, organised by The Sussex Beacon charity, was the 32nd Brighton Half Marathon.
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