Peterborough Nene Valley athlete is crowned British Champion just days after conquering Cambridgeshire

Phil Martin during his county 5000m triumph in St Ives.

The Peterborough & Nene Valley AC pace ace won the county 5,000m championship at the St Ives track in a time of 15:31.4 and he maintained his blistering form when finishing as first over 40 in the British Masters Half Marathon Championship at a red hot Redhill in Surrey.

The heat and the hills meant Martin was never likely to challenge his best time of 1:08.23, set at Bedford last year.

Finishing third overall in 1:12.30, the 40 year-old was beaten by two over 35s. Race winner Scott Overall, who ran the Olympic Games Marathon for Great Britain in 2012, finished three minutes up on him.

New Zealand distance running legend Ron Dixon famously once said: ‘All I want to do is drink beer and train like an animal.’ This is very much the preferred lifestyle for Martin as well.

Speaking after becoming a British champion, Martin said: “I’m more a Peroni man, but if Carlsberg did weeks of running, this may have been it!

“The last seven days have been pretty epic. I managed to hit two of my goals for the year in being crowned British over 40 half marathon champion and the Cambridgeshire county 5000m Champion.

“I even managed to sneak in a 3000m personal best to kick start it all on the previous Sunday.

“The Redhill race was a toughie. With the heat and undulating nature of the course, it was all about racing rather than going for a time.”

Paul Parkin also ran the half marathon at Redhill.

Parkin was a 67 minute half marathoner in his younger days, finishing in the top three in the Great Eastern Run back in the late 1980s.

Now competing in the over 55 age group, and having to deal with health problems over the last couple of years, Parkin surprised himself finishing seventh over 55 in 1:41.20.