Half marathon medal 'not meant to happen'
It was a second Island Games medal for the Jersey runner who won bronze at the 2019 Island Games in Gibraltar. "I started out far too fast," she added."I was up with the lead pack and I shouted to my team manager 'I've really messed this up'."He was like 'just keep going, just see how long you can hold it' and even the girls who were with me were like 'just stick with us and see what yo can do'."So I did that, expecting to be dropped by them, but they kept peeling back and I'm apparently better at running hills than I realised."I didn't even think I'd finish this race today because of injury, so to come home with a medal I'm so immensely proud of myself, I can't put it into words."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Final Gran Fondo Isle of Man on closed public roads to take place
The final edition of a mass participation cycling event held on closed public roads is set to take place ahead of its reincarnation into an off-road Fondo Isle of Man runs over both days of the weekend, with rolling road closures on Sunday to accommodate three of the four challenges in the have said the event will be transformed into a collection of races on gravel, tracks, and private land in 2026, a decade after it was first run on public attracting entrants from places from as far afield as Japan, Australia and South Africa, more than 1,000 competitors have entered the 2025 event. It was originally run under the banner of CycleFest in 2016 before evolving into the Gran Fondo Isle of Man Tour de France stage win record holder Mark Cavendish is among the 8,000 past participants in the event, along with many of the island's other top previously said the event would be brought to a close in 2025 after its scale had become "enormous". This year's event will see the main classes held over three distances on Sunday – in the Gran Fondo, Medio Fondo and Piccolo for younger participants, a family friendly Minisculo Fondo takes place within the race village at the Mooragh Park in Ramsey over a 0.6-mile (1km) distance on event begins at 15:00 BST in the northern park, with the other three classes being run with staggered starts the following day. Gran Fondo Start time: 09:30Distance: 85 miles (137km)Route: The course starts in Ramsey in a northerly direction along the coast through Dog Mills, Bride, Smeale, The Lhen, Sandygate and then travels through the west of the island via Druidale, Sartfield, Little London, Staarvey, Ballig, St John's and southern section of the route passes through Glen Maye, Dalby, the Round Table, Ronague, Corlea, South Barrule, and the Rushen Mines through to Lower will then head back to St John's, heading to The Hope, Archallagan, Garth, Crosby and Mount Rule before heading towards the Mountain Road via West Baldwin, Injebreck and Brandywell, before turning down Tholt-y-Will at the final part of the course runs through the Sulby Claddaghs, St Jude's and back to Ramsey. Medio Fondo Start time: 09:45Distance: 45 miles (72km)Route: Diverts from the main route at Ballaugh, heading straight to Brandywell Cottage and bypassing the southern section of the course. Piccolo Fondo Start time: 10:00Distance: 20 miles (32km)Route: Remains on the largely flat northern plain of the island, returning to Ramsey after reaching St Jude's on the main route. Organisers said next year's new event, which would be focussed around Castletown in the south of the island and feature a range of bicycle types, would be in a similar vein to the now defunct End2End Mountain Bike competition, run on an off-road course between the Point of Ayre and Port Erin, was scrapped in 2021 due to a lack of volunteers to run it following a pause during the coronavirus the planned transformation of the Gran Fondo event in 2026, event director Paul Phillips said gravel cycling was "experiencing rapid growth" so it had "felt like the ideal time to apply our expertise to a new project"."We're excited about the plans we have in the works and can't wait to share them with the riders who have supported us over the years – and hopefully attract new faces who prefer off-road cycling," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Island Games 2025 close after a week of friendship and memories
The 20th Island Games have come to an end after a sensational week for many of the 24 islands Faroe Islands, who will host the 2027 games, came top of the medals table with Jersey and Guernsey in second and third place.A closing ceremony concluded the event with a short handover ceremony followed by a private celebration for athletes and year, the 12-sport event returned to Scotland for the first time since 2005, when it was hosted by Shetland. Sunny weather that Orkney could only have dreamed of gave visitors from afar a great first impression of the Inkster, chair of the International Island Games Association, said the games had been "truly incredible". "I always knew it would be," he said. "I had high hopes for Orkney and the community putting on an incredible spectacle."The levels of support and the fantastic scenes we've seen all week, it's really been a memorable week and one that will last long in everybody's memories." The week kicked off with the opening ceremony at Kirkwall's Bignold Park in front of 2,500 Princess Royal officially opened the games, while Scots TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and BBC Radio Orkney's Stewart Bain hosted the competitors joined together and marched down the streets waving the flags of their home islands. For Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, there was plenty to hosts came 6th in the table, the best result they have ever seen in an Island Western Isles came 8th and Shetland in 14th struck success on the first day of the games, scooping gold for the Women's Triathlon and bronze for the Men's Triathlon thanks to Claire Rendall and Bobby Oag. Claire said she was "over the moon" and that her win didn't feel real. "My arms were going a bit dead by the time I got out of the water, but I thought, I'm not going to use them by the end of the race so might as well give it beans."I've felt so much pressure. It's the first event, I just wanted to make Orkney proud." Ola the Orca brought fun to crowds across the games' mascot was created by Sarah Sutcliffe, 12, who won a competition entered by 880 local children and young were plenty of accompanying events throughout Kirkwall for children and young people to get involved. Local sprinter, Taylah Paterson, has been crowned Orkney's golden girl by won for Orkney in the 100m and 200m races. She also secured two gold medals in the 4x100m, and 4x400m group 2022, Paterson represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Games. A year later, she welcomed her daughter Lara in to the world. Taylah says a lot of sacrifice has gone into her gold medals."I picked up an injury at the start of the year and this didn't seem like the outcome that was going to be but, I kept telling myself even when I was injured, you're going to be a gold medallist at the island games."Taylah received her 100m medal from Hilary Rendall, previously known as Donaldson when she won gold in the 100m in first Island Games in 1985. The volunteers were another huge part of the games. Andrew Inkster said: "The tangerine dream, as they've been called, have been great"I think the visitors to the island have really appreciated that warm community feeling, which I knew Orkney would bring." Many of the athletes from the 24 island groups have been badge-swapping. Athletes and team members exchange pin badges with other island teams, proving that the so called 'friendly games' really is what it practice is a fun way to break the ice with competitors and celebrate the spirit of the games. On Thursday, Grant Ferguson won the first gold for Shetland in the mountain biking cross said: "I've done two Commonwealth Games for Scotland and then the Rio Olympics, which seems like a while ago now. "I do try and keep racing each year and I've kept quite a bit of fitness so to get the option to do the island games was like yeah of course, I'll have a go at that." Kara Hanlon, who is also a former Commonwealth Games athlete and comes from the Western Isles, broke two swimming records in the Women's 100m and 200m breaststroke. She received a gold medal for both, as well as gold in the Women's 100m Individual Medley and Women's 50m breaststroke. One of the biggest highlights of the week was the Orkney vs Shetland football knockout, where the teams played against each other to secure fifth place in the won 3-2 in front of a 2,000-strong week concluded on Friday, with athletics, football, gymnastics, badminton, cycling, sailing and squash events. The Western Isles women's half marathon team won, with Shetland in second and the Isle of Man women's 4x100m relay team also got gold, as well as the 4x400m relay, securing Taylah Paterson her fourth gold any event can present major hurdles but Andrew Inkster said Orkney had outdone itself. "Being the smallest island ever to host was always a huge challenge for Orkney. It's handled these challenges really well. "I have no doubt the buzz after this week will last long and the memories certainly."A full list of Island Games 2025 results can be found here.
BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Jersey teenager fights stigma around girls and sport
A Jersey teenager has set up an event to inspire girls between the ages of eight and 18 years old to take part in all organiser and young worker for Jersey Youth Service, Lauren, 15, said the event was about breaking barriers and the stigma facing girls in free event, called Every Girl Moves, will take place at the sports facility at Les Quennevais School on said "everybody is welcome". Lauren, who joined the youth service in Year 4, said it was a chance to try out new sports that some people might not have known was available to them."When we were organising this event I didn't even know there was a Jersey cricket team - apparently they are really good and keep winning competitions," she said. 'Get people involved' "It is really cool to learn about different sports in the island."At the beginning of Year 7, Lauren said she joined an all-boy football training session before finding another group called the Wonderers, which she is still a part said: "We are trying to get rid of the stigma and get more people involved. "I know most people want to do a sport but they think it's a boys sport or worry about what people will think of them." The event, which will have various sports organisations attending such as basketball, fencing, kickboxing and skateboarding, among others, takes place from 10:00 until 15:00 BST."There's plenty to try out," added Worker Josh Twohig-Jones said Lauren was the "driving force" behind Every Girl said Lauren ran consultations around the island at various youth clubs and schools to encourage as many girls to attend the event and try a new sport.
