KIDDERMINSTER runner Stuart Hawkes put in a brilliant performance to become the first Briton to win the Brighton Marathon.

The Tipton Harrier travelled to the south coast to compete in the event last Sunday.

He was one of 12,500 people to tackle the city's eighth annual marathon and made history by being the first British winner of the event with a finishing time of 2.27.36.

Hawkes had previously been placed second in the Brighton Half Marathon but returned for the longer event last weekend after overcoming hamstring trouble.

He said: "I knew I was in very good form and with the right conditions I could break my 2.26 PB, but I was targeting a top five finish.

"With Temperatures reaching 25C, it was not a day for PBs. With the sudden temperature rise it means that none of your training has been done in the heat so you have to take extra precautions. To do well at the marathon you have to respect the distance and the conditions.

"I moved up into second place just after going through halfway in 1.13. At 30km, I was feeling good, had the breeze behind me and thought I would try and close the gap. I went through the next 5km in 17.03 and I was now within 20m of the leader.

"Just before the 23 mile point I went past him at pace to prevent him coming with me.

"With four mile to go, I had a touch of cramp so I ruled out going for a PB and just tried to maintain a decent pace and was constantly checking behind me. Only when I was in sight of the finish did I believe I was going to win the race, totally unaware of the time gap I had opened up.

"The atmosphere that the thousands of spectators created was electrifying, something I will never forget.

"Only in my dreams had I ever imagined that I would win the second biggest marathon in the country."

Hawkes was keen to thank his family for their support after his memorable success.

He added: "I have had to make sacrifices to achieve this, missing out on social events with friends and eating porridge while the family has a take-away are the hardest. It would not have been possible without great support from my family, so special thanks to Kate, Amy and Harvey."

Hawkes says he will now focus on the shorter distances until August and then start to prepare for the England Age Group Marathon in Chester in October, where he has qualified to wear the England vest.

If he can improve his times over 5k this summer, he is also considering going to the World Master Championships in Malaga in September 2018.