About half an hour into the race the leading group came past St Nics and Fat Face. 886, Colin Paton is  there with number 1061, Trevor Hunter.
This chasing group is running down East St Helens Street towards St Helens Church…
then along St Helens Wharf and past The Old Anchor Inn.

Number 608 followed a few minutes later along St Helens Wharf. The child was enjoying it so far.
Once the runners had runaway out of Abingdon toward Sutton Courtney, people needed something to eat. Crumbs did a good trade. One visitor from Slough said that Abingdon was a a good marathon as it was so flat, and his son was aiming to get under 3 hours for the first time. The cool conditions were ideal.
Anyway, here is the first man over the line. It is Colin Paton, the early leader and an army man based in Aldershot. He came in on 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Second over the line was Trevor Hunter in 2 hours and 37 minutes. Both times were well well inside last years best of 2 hours 40 minutes.

—– update —–

I spotted Andrew Ffrench, the Oxford Mail reporter, interviewing Colin Paton straight after the race. I left long before the real story broke, which Andrew has in the Oxford Mail, on a two page spread…  Colin had borrowed a colleague’s number and his re-registration was not processed properly. He was disqualified.

Rules are rules, and the judges decision was accepted with great grace by this man who will soon be going to do his duty in Iraq. So Trevor Hunter is the winner this year.