YORK marathon runner Darran Bilton has got an elite place in next year's London Marathon following his terrific performance in Canada ten days ago.

And he'll soon be on the move to pastures new as he and his wife are planning to leave York for Pickering.

After leading the British contingent in the Toronto Marathon at the end of last month when he finished in 12th place, Bilton was told by the Team GB Elite manager that he was being invited to run in the London Marathon next April as an elite competitor.

He has run in the London event six times before but this is the first time he has been given an elite place.

"It couldn't be better for me," he told the Evening Press. "The trip to Canada was wonderful. I didn't make my first objective of running two hours and 20 minutes because conditions were unexpectedly very difficult. A mist descended for the duration of the race and humidity went up to an astonishing 94 per cent.

"After 12 kilometres the perspiration was pouring off all the runners and everyone's time suffered. Even the Kenyan winner was way below his best. We were all badly affected by heat exhaustion. So in those conditions my time of 2-25-29 was worth 2-20."

His second aim of helping Britain win the international match against Canada and the US wasn't to be as one of the British athletes pulled out after 25k from heat trauma. But Britain still picked up three trophies. Just turned 40, he won the veteran 40-44 section and the British women won two awards.

Bilton is keen to do a lot more hill work in training as he steers his career into its veteran stage, though he is still strong enough to earn his place in the Leeds club's first team.

"My wife and I have decided to move to the country and run a smaller guest-house than we do at present in York," he said. "It will allow me to spend more time training and do a lot more work in hilly terrain."

Bilton, who hails from Hull, and his York-born wife Sarah moved from their Beverley business to start a guest-house in York just over two years ago.

Updated: 10:09 Thursday, October 06, 2005