Sam Jones won the Altenar Isle of Man Marathon for the second year in succession on Sunday, while Katherine Cubbon made it a Manx Fell Runners’ double by securing the women’s title.

Another MFR member, Shaun McEntee, ran in close company with Jones for most of the first lap of the Ramsey-Bride-Andreas-St Jude’s-Ramsey course, initially dropping back on Bride Hill at mile four when he was briefly sick.

He had caught back up by mile nine at St Jude’s and the pair ran in unison along Jurby Road before Jones edged clear at ‘Fell Runners corner’ on the outskirts of Ramsey at the Richmond Road junction.

His lap one split was a late 1hr 18min, with McEntee a few seconds behind.

McEntee, who had run so well in the early stages, and again to catch back up with Jones, then began to struggle with leg cramps in his left calf. He held onto second place until mile 23 when he was overtaken by James Read, and then relegated a further place by another local, David Williams, with two miles remaining.

Jones crossed the finish line at Ballacloan football stadium completely unannounced because he caught up with a group of five or six competitors in the single-lap half-marathon event, which had started 30 minutes later.

Thoroughly unassuming, the 33-year-old laughed off his denied moment of glory in front of the assembled crowd of spectators, but couldn’t deny his relief at completing the Isle of Man Veteran Athletes’ Club-organised event in one piece.