Salford-based Great Britain international Tomas Abyu scored an impressive runaway victory in yesterday's Loch Ness Marathon in which Ethiopia's Dinknesh Mekash Tefera set a women's course record.
Abyu, who was born and raised in Ethiopia and granted full British citizenship six years ago, won the Loch Ness race seven years ago, but this was his first visit to the Highland capital since then.
His time of 2hr 20min 50sec was nine seconds quicker than he ran in 2003, but was 37sec outside the course record set by Kenya's Simon Tonui last year.
Abyu said: “I had a very good run. It was raining for the first half of the race which made the run harder.
"In the last 10 miles I ran faster and managed to break away from the rest of the field.”
Abyu finished five minutes ahead of Joseph Mbithi (Birchfield Harriers), while David Simpson (Corstorphine AC) was the leading Scot when finishing third in 2:26:16.
Isle of Skye runner Hugh Campbell, who finished sixth in 2:30:13, picked up the Gerald Cooper Memorial Cup for being the first Highland resident home.
Tefera recorded 2:46:39 to slice 15sec off the previous women's record set by Kenya's Commonwealth Games silver medallist Hellen Cherono in 2006.
The Ethiopian, who was competing in Britain for the first time, was delighted with her success.
She said: “I enjoyed running through the beautiful countryside and I'm very happy to have achieved a new course record.”
Clare Prosser (Wells City Harriers) was runner-up in 3:05:39.
Roxy Bannerman (Highland Hill Runners) was the top Scot, sixth overall, in 3:10:10.
Polish athlete Artur Kern was just seven seconds outside the course record when winning the accompanying River Ness 10K in 29:42.
Caithness runner Andrew Douglas took second position in 30:28. Kenya's Cathy Mutwa, who won the first three editions of the race between 2004 and 2006, added a fourth victory in 34:46, one minute outside her course record. North champion Melissa Whyte (Inverness Harriers) was runner-up for the second year in a row in 36:06.