Three young race walkers from the Isle of Man were part of a five-strong England team selected to compete in Sunday's Gran Premio Internacional Madrid Marcha, a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold meeting held in the Spanish capital.

Tim Perry and Holly Salter (Northern AC), along with Honey-Mae Davies (Manx Harriers), all produced highly creditable performances in extremely hot conditions during their first taste of international competition.

Competing in the under-18 age group over five kilometres, Tim recorded a time of 25 minutes 49 seconds, with Holly clocking 29.06 and Honey-Mae 29.48.

Although the times were outside their personal bests, the challenging weather conditions played a significant role, and all three athletes acquitted themselves superbly in a high-calibre field.

Their performances were particularly impressive given that they are among the younger competitors within the age group.

Reflecting on the experience, Perry said: ‘I’m really grateful for the opportunity to represent England Athletics in my first international race at the Madrid Marcha GP. It was a tough race, but a great experience and one from which I’ll learn a lot.

‘Racing in very hot and humid conditions was a huge challenge and definitely not something I’m used to, which made it even tougher.

‘It wasn’t my best performance to date, but I’ve gained valuable experience and learned a great deal from the race.’

Erika Lockley was also selected for the team but unfortunately had to withdraw prior to the event.

The selection of four Manx athletes is a clear indication of the strength and depth of race walking in the Isle of Man at present, with the island making a significant contribution to the England squad at this prestigious international meeting.

Isle of Man Veteran AC’s Fiona Whitehead enjoyed an extremely successful weekend in London where she claimed gold medals in two separate major masters athletics competitions.

A relatively recent resident who moved to the island in 2024, Whitehead has already made a big impression on the local athletics scene.

Her weekend began on Saturday at the British Masters Championships where she won the women's W55 throws pentathlon title to become British champion.

The throws pentathlon comprises the traditional four throwing events – shot put, discus, hammer and javelin – plus the weight throw. The weight is somewhat similar to the hammer but uses a much shorter chain.

Competing in temperatures of around 30°C, Fiona spent more than seven hours in action with little or no shade available throughout the competition.

Despite the demanding conditions, she produced a series of consistently strong performances across all five disciplines to record a winning score of 2,854 points, finishing 194 points clear of her nearest rival.

The following day, Whitehead competed in the European Masters League event and added a second gold medal to her collection in the individual hammer throw.

Once again she demonstrated impressive consistency, with three of her six throws exceeding 39 metres. Her best effort of 40.10 metres was enough to secure victory by a margin of nearly six metres.

A highly experienced athlete, she recently played a significant role for Team Isle of Man in the opening round of the Northern League.

Congratulations go to Whitehead on an outstanding weekend of competition, which saw her crowned British champion and European Masters League gold medallist.

Thanks go to John Whitlow and to Whitehead for the information.