ON Sunday, Portland Runners Club hosted their annual 3 Bays marathon, half-marathon and quarter-marathon.

It was an event for all people of all ages, young and old, of all different abilities and backgrounds, but there were individual performances which stood above the rest.

The first man to cross the finish line after completing the full 42.2km marathon was Melbourne’s Damien Bruneau, a seasoned runner who completed an event all the way over in London just a few weeks prior.

Bruneau, who completed the race in a blistering time of 2:39:14, said the result was a goal he had set for himself in the lead-up.

“I had a marathon back in London which didn’t go as well as I’d hoped… so there was a bit of redemption in winning this one,” he said.

“I had a goal in mind when I set out and to achieve that was incredible.”

Sunday’s conditions were similar to Saturday’s ultramarathon, although slightly warmer and with slightly less rain.

“It was lovely out there… a great day for it and a great result,” Bruneau said.

“I wasn’t expecting some of the steep hills on the way… but they were just another obstacle that all of us had to overcome.”

Four-time winner David Staehr, from Kaniva, was second in 2:42:09, while Justin Perkins, formerly of Heywood, was third in 2:47:03.

Barling victory

Meanwhile, the first placed woman, coming through with an impressive time of 3:41.36, was Warrnambool local Fleur Barling.

In what was only her second competitive marathon, Barling said she was hopeful of finishing on top but was far from expecting such a result.

“I ran one in the lead-up to this and came in at a similar time, and when I looked up the past results, I thought perhaps I was in with a shout,” she said.

“I’m from Warrnambool and currently in Mount Gambier for work, so I know the area quite well… it was an awesome experience and very worthwhile.

Barling was well clear of second-placed Nikki Wynd (4:04:13), who backed up after running Saturday’s ultra, while Castle Elise was third in 4:09:34.