LESS than a month ago, Gary Fallon was on a drip in a Spanish hospital after a severe bout of food poisoning.

The amateur runner had flown out for a training camp, but ended up spending 48 hours in a hospital bed.

Yesterday, on an overcast morning, the 52-year-old ran 26.2 kilometres as part of a world first – the inaugural metric marathon, called a kilomathon.

Thousands of people joined him for Kilomathon England, running from Nottingham to Derby, via Elvaston Castle, in a new race distance that fits between a marathon and half-marathon.

Mr Fallon, who works for Cycle Derby and lives in the Markeaton area of the city, finished in one hour and 55 minutes despite his Spanish nightmare.

The Derby Athletics Club member said: "There were 12 of us from Derby who went over for the training camp and we all got food poisoning.

"I ended up on a drip. All we did was one session, that was all we could manage."

Mr Fallon said he struggled at the start of yesterday's race, but got to Elvaston Castle and "hammered it from there".

In total, 4,186 runners competed. They ate 5,000 bananas, drank almost 35,000 bottles of water and consumed more than 4,000 energy gels.

Competitors started at the University of Nottingham, before heading to Chilwell, Long Eaton, Draycott and Borrowash, finally ending at Alvaston Park.

Thousands of people lined the route and hundreds more were at the finish line to cheer on the runners.

The men's race was won by Martin Williams, 32, of Wolverhampton, who also won the 2009 Edinburgh Marathon.

He crossed the finish line in one hour and 26 minutes, just five seconds ahead of Christopher Wilson, of Paisley, with Tim Hartley third.

Long Eaton Running Club's Sarah Harris finished first among the women's field in the Mother's Day race in just under one hour and 40 minutes.

The mum-of-three had to wait until crossing the line to eat the chocolates bought as a gift by her children to mark the special day.

Mrs Harris, 34, said: "This is definitely one Mother's Day I'll never forget."

Remarkably, she only took up running again in September after two years out.

Scotland's Jennifer Maclean came second, with Christine Howard, of Matlock, third.

Kilomathon England aims to raise up to £1m for more than 80 charities, including the four official ones: Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hope for Children and Rainbow's Children Hospice.

Mark Frost, of Ilkeston, ran in support of Macmillan Cancer Support after his wife, Claire, had a tumour removed.

The 36-year-old, who went from almost 22 stone to under 16 during his training, said: "It's such an incredible feeling crossing the finish line."

Duncan Cowie, of Etwall, said he would "probably be doing the washing up" for running on Mother's Day.

The 46-year-old, head of cultural services at East Staffordshire Borough Council, was cheered on by his two children.

Among the more colourful entrants were students Leo Moll, 20, and Luke Gallacher, 21, who were dressed as bananas, while Guy Clarke, of Stoke, had a sunflower outfit.

The 42-year-old was raising money for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, where he works, and said people were not always keen to get overtaken by a sunflower.

Derby businessman Geoff Sims, chief executive of GSi Events, organisers of the kilomathon, said: "Coming from Derby, I am especially proud of the tremendous encouragement from the people who turned out to cheer on the runners along the route."