finished.The top end of the list was predictably strong and fast; RichardM, Nick Rose and Cartman all between 3:30 and 3:50 for the marathon, with half the PSOF managing sub five hours. Even Oxymoron, suffering from a painful foot injury and a blister

made it into their finals, while Phillips Idowu was a pre-event medal hope, but didn't really look sharp after his recent injury problems.All in all, it was a pretty decent showing, and pretty much dead on what Dave Collins, UK Athletics performance

. For even the most jaded runner, it’s an excellent reminder that there can be more to the sport than dropping those last few pounds or chasing a new PB. First things first: it’s time to leave behind any memories of drug-fuelled rebels toting Kalashnikovs