TWO weeks since winning the Manchester Marathon, St Helens long-distance runner Matt Crehan has done the big city double.

Remarkably the 30-year-old only entered last Sunday’s Rock n Roll Marathon in Liverpool at the last minute as a way of promoting his shop – Made to Run – across the region.

But Crehan, who is building his way at the 26.2 mile distance with a view to getting to next year’s Commonwealth games, went out and won what will be the last ever Rock n Roll Marathon in the city.

Crehan said: “I only decided to enter Friday, my legs had felt fresh after Manchester and with my girlfriend Lucy running the half marathon so I thought it would be good coverage for the shop if I put my ‘Made to Run’ vest on because a lot of local clubs were definitely going to be in Liverpool.”

St Helens Star:

It was Crehan’s third marathon – and again it was part of the learning curve on how to deal with certain situations that this gruelling event throws up.

“I told myself I would start slower, but the first mile was still a 4.50 and so still far too quick.

“I was solo from the start gun, which was what I expected going in the race.

“I went through half-way at a sub-2.20 pace but started to fall apart a bit really,” he said.

One of the areas he had an issue with was the water pick-up, with cups rather than bottles causing him an issue that would bite him later in the race.

“I had 4.5/5 minute lead at that 20 mile, but then I struggled because it was cups of water, rather than bottles of water on the course.

“Every time I grabbed one I crushed it and emptied it of water.

“I did not get enough water in me, and as soon as we reached the prom I got massive cramp down my hamstring and had to stop and stretch it out,” he said.

Crehan won the race with a time of 2.26.38, with Chris McGurk in second, 2minutes 13 seconds behind.

“It is completely against the grain to do two so close and my coach, Rory Linkletter, said it was mad.

“That will be my last Marathon until February in Seville but I will looking to get out to the Caribbean for a race in St Martinique in November," he said.