Mutai breaks rivals and the record

"It's a great feeling for me to have won," said Mutai, who was fourth in this year's London Marathon. "After about four miles I broke away. My colleagues followed but I kept on pushing and when I looked back at one point I realised I had left them behind.

"I wasn't trying to break the course record but I am very pleased to have done so. It has been a very good year for me and now I will prepare for the Chicago Marathon."

Mbote's chances were hampered by injury. "Yesterday I had a hip problem, so I wasn't able to push myself," said the Kenyan who won the race in 2005 and 2006. "It's good that the course record has been broken, but I will try and come here in top shape next year and I am sure I can break it again."

Worknesh Tola, the 27-year-old Ethiopian, won the women's race in 71 minutes, with Japan's Mayumi Fukita second and Hayley Haining, of Scotland, third.

"I am happy to have won," said Tola. "This is my first time running in Scotland and I am delighted with how the race went, and look forward to coming back again next year."

Haining was the first Scottish woman over the line in 71:28. The Kilbarchan athlete was understudy to Paula Radcliffe for the Olympic marathon in Beijing last month, but never got the call-up despite the latter being hampered by injury in the lead-up and unable to finish higher than 23rd on the day. Haining is happy to move on from that episode and insists that yesterday's run was good preparation for the ING New York Marathon on November 2.

"The last couple of miles were tough and I really had to grit my teeth," she said. "The time was about what I was hoping for. With having a few weeks off at the end of July, I felt if I could do the same time as last year then I would be happy. As it was, I was just a few seconds slower. The conditions were good, though it was a bit windy towards the end of the race."

Haining is now looking forward to her first New York Marathon. "I hope to do the Great North Run in four weeks and then New York in eight weeks' time," she said. "I just want to enjoy it. It's a race I've always wanted to do. It is one of those iconic marathons. I will go out a few weeks before the race to acclimatise. I'll try and take in the atmosphere. It seems the whole city is set alight by the whole thing."

Robert Russell, a 26-year-old gardener from Stirling, was the first Scottish man to finish, knocking around a minute off his personal best.

"I'm pleased with that," he said. "I was 11th overall, the second Brit behind Thomas Abyu and first Scot, so I'm delighted. I feel I can go quicker. I think there is more to come. Conditions were good. I ran it very sensibly and didn't go off too fast, which I normally do. I felt very strong in the second half of the race and managed to pull through."

Russell only made the step up from the 10k to the half marathon last year, but is clearly flourishing at the longer distance.

"This is only my fourth half marathon. I usually run five and 10ks, but I made the step up to half marathons about a year ago. I'm doing the Berlin marathon three weeks today, so it's good preparation for that. I've got a time in mind, and it's quite an ambitious one, but training is going well and I felt strong today, so I think I'm on course for that time. After Berlin, I might have a wee night out.

"I'm a gardener and I work for a company in Auchterarder. It's tough fitting the running in, but if you want to do it there's always ways around it."

In the men's 10k, Murray Strain, from East Lothian, won in 32:22, while Lindsay MacNeill, of Renfrew, was the fastest women in 35:53.

Almost 19,000 people of all ages and abilities entered this year's 10k, half marathon and junior 3k.