Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon 2015

While defending champion Aleksey Troshkin will understandably grab the headlines for his record-breaking performance, Jersey resident Serdenciuc Alexandru-Vlad momentarily stole the limelight as, having completed the 26.2 mile course in 3 hr 7 min 2 sec, he got down on one knee and asked Maria Krupacz to marry him. To the delight of onlookers, a taken aback Maria said yes.

Less than an hour earlier, Russian Troshkin had broken the tape for the second successive year, shaving 20 seconds off his own course record to win in a time of 2 hr 18 min 12 sec. It was the fourth year in a row that the course record had been bettered.

Christopher Zablocki, a USA national currently studying in the UK, had kept pace with the eventual winner for much of the race, but the defending champion’s class prevailed in the latter stages. Zablocki finished second in a time of 2:20.05, ahead of Kenyan Linus Maiyo in third (2:24.49).

Speaking after crossing the finish line, Troshkin said: ‘I’m very happy.

‘I’m very happy with this time though because this race is difficult. There are lots of hills and it was windy as well. It’s a difficult race but it’s very beautiful.’

Running her first marathon outside of her native Kenya, Hilda Cheboi was the first women to cross the finish line in Weighbridge Square, breaking the tape after 2:48.24.

‘I’m very delighted to have won,’ she said.

‘My best time before today was 2 hours, 57 minutes so I’m pleased with my time. The race was tough because there were lots of hills but I’m very pleased.’

Sixth overall, Phil Taylor was the first Jerseyman and Channel Islander to complete the course, finishing in 2:47.02.

Taylor said: ‘I’m over the moon. I never thought in a million years that I’d be the first Jerseyman, so I’m chuffed to bits.

‘My PB before was 2:56 so this was a huge PB. I knew I had it in me but you never know what’s going to happen on the day.

‘I really enjoyed the race and the more you enjoy it, the better you run. I felt strong right from the start, I kept going, tried to keep my mind focused and legs relaxed and it worked.’

After a monumental effort, Jersey’s Emma Reeves finished an excellent third in the women’s race, completing the distance in 3:29.58 to take the award for first Channel Islands women to cross the line.

Davies and Ingram, made up of Dan Halksworth, Dan Romeril, Will Brown, Sam Maher and Tom Perchard, set a new record on their way to winning the Mourant Ozannes Relay Race in a time of 2:27.48.

In total, 401 individuals completed the full marathon.

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