Gold rush for Guernsey's runners

Merrien broke the Island Games 5000m record by 17 seconds

Guernsey's athletes have continued their success in the Wiklöf Holding Arena in Mariehamn at the Island Games.

Lee Merrien received a standing ovation as he stormed to victory in the 5000m, claiming a new Island Games record.

The 30-year-old beat former European marathon champion Janne Holmen as he broke the record by 17 seconds.

Louise Perrio also took gold for Guernsey in the women's 5000m final, just pipping fellow Sarnian Martine Scholes to the line.

In the men's race, Merrien was only able to break free of Holmen's challenge over the final 400m as he finished in 14:21:35, 12 seconds ahead of Holmen.

Merrien told BBC Radio Guernsey it was a great feeling to compete in such a tight race.

He said: "It was great running it, I was very nervous before I must admit, but once we got going after the first few laps there was a real buzz going around the stadium."

The 30-year-old added: "It was hard work towards the end, but enjoyable nonetheless and I don't very often enjoy 5k's because they can be pretty tough and brutal."

Perrio has now won gold in both the 10,000 and 5000m

The women's 5000m final was a much closer affair with Perrio beating Scholes by just 0.66 seconds.

Perrio told BBC Radio Guernsey that the duo knew they were in with a good chance of a place on the podium

She said: "I think that we'd narrowed it down to five or six people who could win medals and we were two of them, so you just have to do your best to make sure you get both of us as far up the medals as you can.

Perrio and Scholes stayed close together throughout the race, maintaining a steady pace and profited as their rivals grew tired and fell back.

But, eventually it was Perrio who came in first to add to her earlier gold in the women's 10,000m.

Guernsey's Tom Druce, added to the islands gold medal tally by finishing first in the men's 800m.

The 22-year-old narrowly beat Joseph Wade from the Isle of Wight to take the top honours.