Melanie Shatters PB To Power To Edinburgh Marathon Title

By Owen Morgan

Welsh athlete Melanie Wilkins produced a brilliant performance to win the Edinburgh Marathon in a huge personal best time.

The Winchester AC athlete obliterated her previous best time of 3:17.03 set five years ago at the Virgin London marathon, where she failed to finish last month.

Wilkins, who earlier this year won the Llanelli Half Marathon, crossed the line in the Scottish capital to record a phenomenal winning time of 2:42.56 in what she described her first competitive marathon.

It was an excellent day for the Welsh north of the border as Cardiff Athletics’ Carys Hughes finished third in the women’s race on her marathon debut.

Melanie Wilkins (centre) with second placed Megan Crawford (l) and Cardiff’s Carys Hughes (r) who was third.

Hughes who had finished second at the Great Llanelli Half Marathon, crossed the line in 2:54.07, just a second ahead of Lyndsey Eastman.

In the men’s race, Swansea Harrier Matthew Richards also enjoyed a new personal best as he finished fifth in a time of 2:33.06.

The men’s race was won by Kenya Dan Tanui in a time of 2:30.13.