A prolific marathon runner got a sporting success she was not expecting on her latest run after she overtook an international sportsman at the finish line.

Melanie Floyd, from Thetford, was competing in the Snowdonia Marathon earlier this month, a route up Wales' highest mountain which climbs 1,200ft over the race's 26.2 mile course.

Despite struggling in the final miles, a burst of speed put Ms Floyd across the finish line of her 176th marathon in five hours 14 minutes – ahead of fellow competitor, Welsh rugby union winger Shane Williams MBE.

She said: 'It is known as one of the toughest purely because it is a continual climb. I wanted to do it quicker than I did, but it was unusually warm.

'I was taking it slow and steady. The tendency is to take off too quick.

'They were all ahead of me for all of the race. By mile 24 I did not feel very good, then at mile 25 you start to do downhill. It was not until I had crossed the finish line that they said I had beaten Shane Williams.

'It is good fun and good to realise that at the end you can do something like that.'

The moment was captured by photographer Gywnford James and has been shared widely around the 100 Marathon Club, of which Ms Floyd is a member.