Tilahun Nigussie managed to recover from a wrong turn on his way to breaking the Belfast Marathon record as over 22,000 athletes, social runners and walkers hit the streets.

It was a case of fun in the sun for many across the 43rd Belfast City Marathon – but with the serious business of the men’s and women’s honours going to, respectively, Nigussie and Kenya’s Millicent Kibet.

Both podiums also featured home favourites sharing the spotlight.

Organisers listed figures of 6,500 full marathon runners, 2,750 relay teams and 1,200 walkers within a record-breaking 22,000-plus overall entry which finished with Nigussie crossing the line as men’s winner in 2 hours 13 minutes 37 seconds.

placeholder image — Kenya's Millicent Kibet (centre) celebrates success in the Belfast Marathon women's race alongside runner-up Lalla Aziza of Morocco (left) and third-placed Gladys Ganiel from Northern Ireland. (Photo by Arthur Allison /Pacemaker Press)

His commanding performance was made more remarkable considering he managed to cut four seconds off the standing record set by Ethiopia compatriot Negewo Ararisa in 2012 despite a brief error across the closing kilometre when he missed a turn before adjusting and heading home with a sprint finish.

In the women’s race, Kibet clocked a winning time of 2:38.30, more than three minutes outside the record from last year’s event established by another athlete from Kenya, Beatrice Jepkemei.

Northern Ireland athletes featured in the medals over both sections.

Annadale Striders’ Stephen Connolly was named Northern Ireland winner on his debut marathon thanks to third place overall and 2:29.30.

Connolly, in a post-race interview with BBC Sport NI, described Northern Ireland title success as “my goal coming into it” and how “all along I've said that I didn't really have a time in mind...I just wanted to do my best to try and win that”.

"I've done it...I'm absolutely delighted,” he added. "I couldn't have done this on my own...so many people who helped me along the way, not least my coach Michael McKnight and everybody else at Annadale Striders."

Gladys Ganiel, a former Belfast Marathon winner, won the women’s home title at the age of 48 years old in 2:45.46.

Ganiel, speaking to BBC Sport NI after the marathon, said how “this one was pretty tough, my time was a bit slower than I wanted...I held in there and made the podium overall so really happy with that as well”.

Drogheda-based Aaron Hanlon split Nigussie and Connolly in 2:27.06 and Morocco’s Lalla Aziza came home 21 seconds behind Kibet for women’s runner-up.

The 26-year-old Nigussie arrived in Belfast having logged a personal best of 2:07.50 earlier in the year and he hit the halfway point in 1:08.40 before substantially stepping up his pace in pursuit of the prize.

In the wheelchair race, Aghadowey’s Jayne Bleakley became the first female to complete the Belfast route, with a time of 2:28.27 to claim overall success.

The 44-year-old, diagnosed with a condition known as encephalitis in childhood, was taking part in her first marathon.

Bleakley told BBC Sport NI she was “super-chuffed”.

The 26.2-mile route started at Stormont and finished in Ormeau Park.