A runner from Arran has set a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) for a route around the coast road of the Isle of Arran.
Tom Jessop, 38, ran 90km (56 miles) supported on the road around the Scottish island in a time of 7 hours, 25 minutes and 53 seconds on June 25, 2023.
The previous supported record was 10 hours 18 minutes, while the self-supported record stands at 9 hours 15 minutes.
The weather during Tom’s Arran FKT was typically Scottish with rain for the first four hours before the sun came out.
Tom, who runs Balmichael Glamping with his wife Emma, started and finished at the bridge in Blackwaterfoot, just outside the Kinloch Hotel car park, and ran anti-clockwise.
He said: “I ran anti-clockwise so I could do the lumpier south side of the island first.”
He was supported by Emma and his three sons. Tom said: “My wife provided support in our car to top up water, food etc and also ran a few kilometres with me. My kids popped up at various points to shout abuse and encouragement and to give me high fives.”
Tom’s running history
Tom describes himself as an on-off runner. He says: “I did my first and only marathon in 2017 but got back into some proper training more recently and I completed my first ultra run, the Glen Ogle 33, last November.”
In April, Tom won the two-day 100km Rat Race, Ultra Tour of Arran.
Tom’s Round Arran FKT run
The Arran FKT was Tom’s longest single run. He said: ” While I was happy with how my training had gone and confident I could complete it, I was still stepping into the unknown and not sure how I was going to hold up.
“It is hard to know how to pace it and so I tried to hold back at the start and take it very easy up the hills to make sure I had enough left at the end. I also focused on trying to get enough fuel in to keep me going.
“I definitely started to struggle from 70km onwards and at the end it was difficult running downhill because my legs were not used to so much running on tarmac.”
Highlights of the run included seeing friends and family members along the route. Tom said: “Friends popped up to cheer me on and Emma was constantly jumping up everywhere to cheer me on. My three boys ran a short distance with me up to King’s Cave near the end, which was awesome.”
Tom also enjoyed his alternative approach to seeing his home island. He said: “You definitely notice more when running rather than driving the route.
“But it is certainly not a run to be taken lightly and you need to be mindful of the traffic levels, especially between Brodick and Whiting Bay, but if runners have prepared well then it is a great way to see all round Arran.”