Steve Dawes strides to victory in the Liberation Day road race. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0966440)

MARTINE SCHOLES, the 2009 Island Games half-marathon champion, produced the outstanding run of this year’s annual Liberation Day road race.

Held over the traditional seven-mile course from Les Dicqs to the White Rock, the event is now into its eighth decade and among the special guests at the post-race presentation were 90-year-old Ernie Sauvage, the 1948 winner, and the event record-holder and 14-times champion in the 1950s and 60s, Dave Kreckeler.

While Steve Dawes did not push himself and eased to victory in 37min. 47sec., some way short of Kreckeler’s course best of 34-39 set in 1966, Lee Merrien jogged home anonymously in second gear to finish 13th in 44-13, well behind Scholes, who took 17 seconds off Louise Perrio’s 2005 women’s record with a time of 41-45.

Despite the opening two miles being into a headwind, Dawes was allowed to escape early in the race and a trailing group including 2009 winner Mark Mercier, Dave Dyke and Tim Coates formed.

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