Isle of Man athlete David Mullarkey produced a superb performance on the world stage over the weekend.

Mullarkey represented Great Britain in the senior men’s race at the World Cross-Country Championships which took place in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday.

The course was familiar for the 25-year-old, having studied at Florida State University.

The course included 'Alligator Alley' and apparently some poisonous snakes had to be removed from the course prior to the event. Not the sort of problems Mullarkey used to encounter at Crossags in Ramsey or Witton Park in Blackburn!

He got off to a flying start and was the leading Briton after 4km when sitting 35th, before moving up to 30th in the next 2km.

Mullarkey continued to make excellent progress and ultimately crossed the line in a superb 26th overall – and sixth European - after a sprint to the line,

The result was the best by a Brit in the senior men’s race since Mo Farah finished 20th in 2010.

World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier of France was 15th, which gives an indication of the standard of the field.

Without doubt one of the great performances in Manx athletics history.

Speaking afterwards, Mullarkey commented: ‘It’s an honour and privilege. I like to thank all the people out there shouting for me - my home away from home.

‘I did a good job of staying calm and collected, and I think that reflected in me moving up, pacing it well to start with and move up the field.

‘I was competing against some of the top guys in the world, so it’s great for where I want to be now, but in the future I want to move forward and get higher and higher.’