ENDURANCE was everything as thousands of runners pounded the streets on day two of the Bournemouth Marathon Festival.

Competitors and their well-wishers began flocking to Kings Park Drive early yesterday ahead of the half marathon, which began at 8am.

Around 4,000 people signed up for the 13.1 mile race, with a combination of elite runners and keen amateurs weaving through the town before finishing at Bournemouth Pier.

An estimated £500,000 was raised for good causes across the weekend, with Dorset based charities backed in abundance.

Among them was Bournemouth’s YMCA, which fielded nine runners in the half marathon and had eye-catching support in the form of fancy-dressed mock superhero Y-Man, accompanied by fundraiser Sheena Dayman.

Sheena said: “It is wonderful to see people doing this for such good causes. We are really proud of all of our runners.”

You can watch the whole of the marathon in just a few minutes courtesy of runner Andrew Findlay below:

Poole’s Daniel Cook, 19, cruised home to take the half marathon wheelchair crown before Helen Dyke, also from Poole, stormed to victory in the women’s race.

Bournemouth-based duo Jacek Cieluszeckie and Steve Way finished first and second respectively in the men’s.

Steve, who garnered national attention when he qualified for the Commonwealth Games this summer after losing five stone and quitting cigarettes, said he was disappointed he didn’t win.

“I was ahead for quite a while but Jacek just shot past when we got to the pier,” he added. “I am really pleased for him. If anyone was going to beat me I’m glad it was him.”

Steve returned to Kings Park for the beginning of the full marathon at 10am, which attracted 3,500 entrants and where he was the official starter.

“It’s great that so many people have turned out and I think everybody can see that this is an event which people really appreciate,” he said.

There were roars from the crowd at Pier Approach when Poole runner Anthony Clark crossed the line in fifth place and finished third among the men behind last year’s winner Ebisa Merga and new champion Andrew Lesuuda.

The Kenyan victor, who was running in his first ever marathon, declared it his “biggest success”, adding: “The course is so nice, I loved it.”

Come back to the website tomorrow to see galleries of pictures from across the weekend.