Local runners fill top places

One of the most fascinating traits of the International Malta Challenge Marathon is that everything can change on the final day. With a 25-kilometre third leg to round off events, it is possible for a runner to win despite failing to do so in the previous two stages.

This wasn't the case yesterday as Brian Magri, the overnight leader, retained his advantage after winning the third stage in 1:31.34, nine seconds ahead of Charles Cilia, for an overall 2:29.19.

For two years, Pembroke Athleta's Magri had virtually disappeared from local athletics but this year he has returned and his form has been something of a revelation. This was his first big win but he's managed top five finishes every time he's competed.

"I have a chronic injury in my knee," he said, explaining his long absence.

"It will stay with me for the rest of my life and over long distances it really hurts. Today, I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to hold on to the lead but I felt really good going up the hills which encouraged me.

"I'm obviously overjoyed. This is an event that I really enjoy running so to win is quite an emotion."

Just 12 seconds behind Magri going into the final run, Cilia will have thought that he could overhaul the leader but eventually he finished 21 seconds slower overall.

Even so, he was pleased with his result.

"It was a really enjoyable experience," he said whilst congratulating Magri. "Brian ran a superlative race and he deserved to win."

The 42-year-old may be a veteran of the local athletics scene but this was his first Challenge experience.

"It was great fun and I've learnt a lot about the race," he said.

"You have to pay a lot of attention to your tactics. For instance, it is much better to go into the final race with an advantage, even if minimal. That way you can plan your race better rather than depend on what the others are doing."

An added bonus for Cilia was seeing his club Mellieha AC win the team event and dominate the men's race with Johan Galea in third place.

Galea made quite an impression last year when he finished in a similar position but in the previous two days he had been stuck in fourth place behind team-mate Stephen Borg.

Yet, his talent comes to the fore the longer the race and that was the case this time round.

"This was 'my' race and I know that I get better the longer the distance," he said after his 1:33.27 25-km run.

"It is great for me to finish third but more so to take around 90 seconds off my finishing time last year."

There was no drama in the women's race. Once again Carol Walsh finished well ahead of the rest on the final day in 1:42.23 to confirm her overall victory and retain last year's title.

"Today, it was quite hot and the roads were quite slippery," she said.

"Still, conditions are the same for everyone so I can't really complain.

" It was a good run for me and, obviously, I'm delighted to have won."

Walsh, whose previous experience in the challenge before last year's race had been 13 years earlier, seems to have rediscovered her passion for this event.

"It is true," she said. "Perhaps because I didn't take part for such a long time there is the novelty factor for me. It is something out of the routine so in a sense like running abroad."

Walsh's overall timing this year was 2:48.12.

Second place went to Carmen Hili (1:50.28), of St Patrick's AC, with Doreen Vella (1:51.42), of Zurrieq Wolves, third, thus mirroring the results of the previous two days.

While Hili admitted "to be pleased to have finished the challenge and to have improved from last year," there was slight disappointment for Vella who admitted that "I ran well on the first day but badly in the next two. Still, I'm happy with the result as this really is a challenge."

There was a shortage of top-level runners this year, the first time in the event's 17-year history.

"To be honest, it doesn't really bother me," race director Barry Whitmore answered when asked about this absence.

"We don't invite anyone except the previous year's winners so it is up to the athletes to decide whether or not to take part. What I will say is that this year we had a good number of local athletes running in the Challenge for the first time ever. We're growing as far as local athletes are concerned and that for me is a real plus."