TAVISTOCK Athletic Club's Jim Cole beat more than 3,000 runners to take an excellent second place in the 20th Plymouth Half Marathon at the weekend.

It was an excellent result for Jim, who only lost out by just more than one minute to the race winner Ethiopian athlete Tadele Geremew, who ran I hour 9 minutes and 5 seconds.

TAC Jim came home in a superb 70 minutes 26 seconds for the 13.1 mile run — just behind the African who clocked 69 mins 05 secs.

Following a minute's silence to pay tribute to those victims of the recent Boston marathon bombing modern pentathlete Heather Fell from Merrivale — along with fellow Olympians Tonia Crouch, Antony James, and Sarah Barrow — started the race with a klaxon from the Plymouth Hoe. The route from the Hoe heading out to Billacombe Road and Saltram Park before heading back to the city centre and return to the Hoe.

It has been a productive April for Jim, who has nominated 'athlete of the month' by his club.

The award is well deserved as Jim has been racing spectacularly well of late, but it was his performance at Bideford which was commended at the presentation of this award.

The Bideford Half Marathon has the reputation of being flat and fast – and is advertised by the host club as being 'a swift half'.

Jim battled throughout the race with local star athlete Shaun Antell, perfectly timing his move to overtake the local man in the closing stages of the race and went on to cross the finishing line a clear ten seconds in front of him. Jim's time of 1 hour, 8 minutes, 56 seconds was not only a 36-second personal best time, but he also broke the club record which he had set two years previously.