DALE GARLAND said the Channel Islands Athletics Club would triumph in the televised British Athletics League 10 in 100 cup final – and they duly did so.

The Sportingbet-sponsored side beat clubs from seven UK cities and towns in the regional semi-finals to get through to the weekend’s final at Hendon.

The event sees 10 competitors from each club take part in 10 events in 100 minutes and is open to all clubs competing in the national leagues excluding the premiership.

The final is due to be shown on Channel 4’s weekly athletics programme, The McCain Track & Field Show, which goes out on Sunday mornings at 8.25am.

And Garland, 28, triumphed in the 400m before turning on the style in the last leg of the final medley relay to ensure that the Channel Islanders were crowned the best in the country.

‘It went well,’ said the ever-modest Guernsey Olympian.

‘I’ve said in the past that we had a good chance if things went our way and, luckily, things did go our way.’

Garland, whose wife Rachael gave birth to their second child at the end of June, took the honours in the 400m when he set a season’s best time of 46.86sec. to finish ahead of Femi Owolade of Blackheath & Bromley and Cardiff’s Gareth Hopkins.

‘It wasn’t too bad,’ he said.

‘I felt a little bit flat. It’s a hard adjustment having a baby and waking up in the middle of the night, but it was nice to get a season’s best.

‘From my time in the relay at the Island Games, it was clear that I could run a season’s best.’