Andy gives his all at Commonwealth Games

Our very own marathon man Andy Davies came up short in his quest for a Commonwealth Games top 10 spot in strength-sapping heat in Australia.

The Forden farmer’s son, who is a lecturer at Newtown College, told MyWelshpool he was in the shape of his life as he prepared to take on some of the world’s greatest long distance runners on the streets of Australia’s Gold Coast and finished in a brilliant 11th place with a time of 2.26.05.

Andy said he was targeting a top eight finish and deep down he would have been dreaming of joining his fellow Welsh team members with a medal as family members and friends travelled in numbers to cheer him on.

Andy has become one of Britain’s top endurance runners and qualified in stunning fashion for the Games at last year’s London Marathon and finished 11 minutes ahead of fellow Welshman Josh Griffiths, who was an early pacemaker.

Starting and finishing at the spectacular Southport Broadwater Parklands, the course took athletes to a northern turn at Runaway Bay, on a flat and scenic route to a southern turn at Burleigh Heads, before an exciting final stretch back to Southport for the finish.

Scotland's Callum Hawkins was taken away in an ambulance after collapsing just over one mile from the end when looking certain to take gold.

In hot conditions on the Gold Coast, the 25-year-old had a two-minute lead and looked set for gold but began weaving before falling over the kerb.

He continued for another couple of hundred metres before collapsing again, hitting his head on a roadside barrier.

Hawkins was conscious, sitting up and talking when helped into an ambulance.

Compatriot Robbie Simpson took bronze in a race won by Australia's Mike Shelley in two hours 16 minutes 46 seconds, with Uganda's Munyo Solomon Mutai second.