Martyn Rooney admitted he had surprised himself after he battled fatigue to finish third in the 400m at the at the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 27-year-old came into the prestigious IAAF Diamond League meet off the back of a busy couple of weeks after outings at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

The disappointment of a fourth-place finish in Glasgow was quickly replaced with delight as he took double European gold in Zurich, winning both the 400m and 4x400m relay.

And he was back in action at the Birmingham Alexander stadium last weekend, taking on world, Olympic and Commonwealth champion Kirani James in the 400m.

Rooney would not be able to get the better of the Grenadian sprinter, settling for third behind him in 45.25 seconds, although he was still pleased with his performance.

“I had tired legs and it’s been a really busy week after the Euros,” he said.

“I’ve won my first ever Diamond League points at 27 years old. Third is good but I would have liked to have run faster but I can’t complain after a great season.

“To go to the Commonwealths and come fourth was disappointing at the time but I went to the Europeans and had five races, five wins, did what I wanted to do and got gold. It was a nice Championships for me.

“I’m looking forward to the next couple of races which includes meets in Zurich and Berlin, so it’s about making hay while I can. I will go to Zurich a bit fresher.”

As well as battling tiredness, Rooney was also kept busy last week as he got back to helping his fiancé prepare for their wedding on September 19th.

And after a busy season that has seen him away from home for large periods, he was grateful for his wife to be for taking the lead when it came to wedding matters.

“It was a busy week, all the stuff I’ve been putting off, the wedding stuff and moving house, I don’t have that excuse of Championships any more so it was all thrown at me last week,” he added.

“To be honest, I’m the one making sure the right person is invited and sitting on the right tables.

“My fiancé Kate has done an amazing job, I’ve been away for about three months but she has got a lot done.

“I have been involved but Kate has done a lot of the work and I hope it comes out well.”

Sainsbury’s is proud to support British Athletics through the Summer Series events and is committed to helping young people lead healthier, more active lifestyles. For more information visit sainsburys.co.uk/legacy.