NI's Laura Graham triumphs in Belfast City Marathon women's race

Kenyan Bernard Rotich won the men's race in 2:16:04, ahead of compatriots Daniel Tanui and Emmanuel Kiprotich.

Laura Graham, from Kilkeel, triumphed in the women's race in a personal best of 2:41:47.

Graham is the first woman from Northern Ireland to secure victory since 1999.

Belfast Lord Mayor Brian Kingston completed the course in three hours and 32 minutes.

He opened the event, then ran it and said there were great crowds along the route.

The 36th River Rock Belfast City Marathon began at 9am outside the City Hall.

It finished a gruelling 26.2 miles later in Ormeau Park, encompassing north, south, east and west along a relatively flat route.

Relay teams, wheelchair users and fun runners also took part.

The weather was warm for running and water stations were busy.

Club vests bore the names of towns all over Northern Ireland and beyond.

A group of 30 Smurfs took part.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Mairtin O Muilleoir, a keen athlete, ran some legs and Alliance's Chris Lyttle took part.

Teams from Mencap, the official race charity, and PIPs suicide prevention made their way around the course.