Ser-od Ba-otichir insists he will return to defend his title after cruising to victory in the inaugural Brighton Marathon.

The two-time Olympian was in a different class to the rest of the field after Kenyan duo Joseph Mbithi Mutunga and Julius Kimeu were unable to make the race.

Mutunga had been expected to challenge for the title but was stuck in Zurich due to the ban on air travel and Ba-otichir took full advantage.

The 28-year-old hit the front early together with pacemaker Simon Tondi and continued to extend his lead before crossing the line more than five minutes ahead of runner-up Michael Coleman.

His time of 2hr.19min.05sec was well outside his Mongolian national record of 2hr.14min.15sec set over the Olympic course in Beijing in 2008 but Ba-otichir was still delighted with his run.

He said: “I am really happy to win the first ever marathon in Brighton and I will definitely come back next year.

“I am pleased with my time because it was quite warm and it is hard when you are out in the front on your own.

“Hopefully next year other top runners will see this is a good marathon and come and run. I can recommend it to them because it was a great race with brilliant crowds.

“If there was a group of good runners I think a time around 2hr.12min is possible because it is a nice flat course.”

The absence of Mutunga and Kimeu ended any prospect of a battle for the title and Ba-otichir was left to race against the clock.

His time beat Sam Lambourne’s previous best for a marathon run in Sussex and also earned him prize money of £500 for breaking 2hr.20min.

Coleman was well adrift in 2hr.24min.38sec with Brighton’s Chris Thompson an impressive third in his very first marathon in 2hr.29min.50sec.

Thompson was also celebrating his 26th birthday and admitted a bronze medal was an unexpected present.

He said: “To come third is amazing. I was seventh at the halfway stage but just kept overtaking everybody.

“I was just hoping to break 2hr.30min so I achieved that and my other main aim was to be the top Sussex runner so to achieve both and get a bronze medal was the perfect birthday present.

“I had a rollercoaster run. I felt awful after 15 miles then great after 20 miles but the last couple of miles were not pleasant at all.

“The crowds were absolutely fantastic though and really kept me going. I’m a teacher at Hurstpierpoint College and there was a big group from the school cheering me on as well as members of my club Brighton and Hove City.

“I’ve run big races before like the Prague and Bath half marathons but this is the best I have ever done in terms of the course and support.”

There was further local success for in the women’s race as veterans Jo Bryce and Cathy Ulliott battled it out for the title.

Bryce, of Burgess Hill Runners, came out on top in 3hr.03min.16sec with Ulliott just 22 seconds behind – the eighth and ninth fastest times in the UK this year.

Bryce, 43, said: “I’m amazed. It is lovely to win a local race and all my family were here to cheer me on.

“I’ve run parts of the course in training so I knew what it was going to be like but it was still very difficult in the conditions.”