Lee Merrien takes a well-earned drink of water after crossing the line almost three minutes ahead of his closest challenger in yesterday’s half marathon.

LEE MERRIEN put Guernsey top of the medals table within 75 minutes of the 14th NatWest Island Games opening.

And no sooner had the island record-holder crossed the finish line at the Fairway Athletics Centre than he took a couple of media interviews and then watched teammates Mike Wilesmith and Steve Dawes finish fourth and fifth respectively and with it earn the Sarnians a comfortable team gold.

There never seemed any doubt Merrien would claim the 11th gold medal of his Island Games career. He was content to sit in the pack in the early stages, but before long was striding clear and only a freak accident would stop him from there.

His winning time of 68min. 36sec. was some way short of both his personal best and the Games record of 66-34, but this was not the sort of course to make a serious attempt on the Games mark.

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