Kenyan Zakary Kihara won the Baxters Loch Ness Maraton for the second time on Sunday 7 October 2007.

Zakary Kihara was a convincing winner of the 2007 Baxters Loch Ness Marathon crossing the finish line in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes and 17 seconds. Moray Anderson of Corstorphine Amateur Athletics Club in Edinburgh took second place (2:30:56). In third place was Andrew Farquharson, from Kent (2:35:10).

Over 5600 runners lined up for Baxters Festival of Running, on a bright October day, which brought out crowds of spectators to support all the runners.

The women's race was won by Banuelia Katesigwa from Tanzania in a time of 2:55.04, with Shona McIntosh of Glasgow taking second place in a time of 3:04:29  and Lydia Schumacher from USA taking third (3:06:35).

Victory in the Baxters River Ness 10K went to Jean Ndayasenga, originally from Burundi, and running for Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham, who crossed the line in 30 minutes and 36 seconds, with Barney Phillips from Aberdeen Athletics Club in second (31:57) and Andrew Douglas from Caithness AAC in third (32:08). In the women’s race Bridget Coomber  (Denby Dale Travellers) won in a time of 37.43. Second in the 10K was local Inverness runner, Morag Ross of Inverness Harriers (38.25), followed by Julia Henderson from Helensburgh (38:45) in third place.

The event not only attracted elite Scottish, international and club runners, but also proved massively popular with amateurs, joggers and those who were running to raise money for charity. Last year's event raised a fantastic £408,311, and looks set to raise even more this year. Fifty different nationalities were represented in the races, with athletes from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Japan,  Kenya, New Zealand and Trinidad.

Thousands lined the final few miles along the route in the autumn sunshine to support the runners as they came into the Queens Park Stadium in Inverness, the finish venue of all three races. Runners, together with their families and friends, enjoyed the carnival atmosphere, with entertainment including pipes & drums, ceilidh bands, a bouncy castle, Baxters Soup and face painting for the children.

This year for the first time the Loch Ness Marathon was filmed and a TV programme will be broadcast on Channel 5 on Sunday 14 October, check TV listings for exact timing.

Results

Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, Inverness

• Men: 1st: Zakary Kihara, Kenya; 2 hours 23 minutes 17 seconds
• 2nd: Moray Anderson (Corstorphine AAC) (2:30:56)
• 3rd: Andrew Farquharson, Kent AC, (2:35:10)
• Men over 40: 1: John Duffy, Shettleston Harriers, (2:43:18)
• Men Over 50: 1:  Eamonn Dorling, Thorney Running Club, (2:59:35)
• Men Over 60: 1: John Moran, Anster Haddies (3:26:24)
• Women: 1st: Banuelia Katesigwa, Tanzania (2:55:04)
• 2nd; Shona McIntosh, Glasgow, (3:04:29)
• 3rd: Lydia Schumacher, USA (3:06:35)
• Women over 35: 1: Erica Christie, Bellahouston Harriers (3:08:00)
• Women's Over 45: 1: Ann Stuart, Bromsgrove & Redditch (3:24:20)
• Women's Over 55: 1 Linda Vinton, Maidenhead AC (4:13:08)

Baxters River Ness 10K

• Men: 1st: Jean Ndayasenga, Birchfield Harriers, (30:36)
• 2nd: Barney Phillips, Aberdeen AC (31:57)
• 3rd: Andrew Douglas, Caithness AAC (32:08)
• Men Over 40: 1: Paul Trott (35:25)
• Men Over 50: 1: Sam Morrison, Forres Harriers (39:16)
• Men Over 60: 1: John Macpherson, Aberdeen AAC (40:28)
• Women & Women Over 35: 1: Bridget Coomber, Denby Dale Travellers (37:43)
• Women's Over 45: 1: Sue Spong, Havering Go Joggers (41:20)
• Women's Over 55: 1: Franky Farquhar (46:01)

Full results can be found on the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon at: www.lochnessmarathon.com