100-Mile Triathlon Challenge Raises More Than £11,000 For Mountbatten

Three men have raised more than £11,000 for Mountbatten Isle of Wight after taking on an epic 100-mile triathlon around the Island.

Sam Tyson and brothers Kemp and Aiden Price completed The Wight 100 Miles on Saturday 11 July — with Aiden even flying back from abroad specially to take part.

The challenge involved a two-mile sea swim from Sandown to Shanklin, a 70-mile cycle around the Island's coastline and a 28-mile run based on the Walk the Wight route, with an extra stretch added to reach the full ultramarathon distance.

The trio have now presented Mountbatten with a cheque for £11,437.75, including Gift Aid.

Kemp Price said his own family had recently received support from Mountbatten, making the cause particularly personal.

He said:

"Dad recently had Mountbatten support him at home. Once that care touches your family, you realise just how important it is."

The challenge proved tougher than expected, particularly during the run.

The three men said the heat made the 28-mile run difficult, with limited shade along the route, while the sea was also choppier than anticipated.

They were helped during the cycle by friends Fergie and Loz, who joined them for part of the ride.

Despite the physical demands, the trio said reaching the finish line at Freshwater Bay was the highlight of the day.

They described having several "peaks and troughs" during the challenge before finding another burst of energy to get them through the final stages.

The amount they had raised for Mountbatten was also a major motivation — although they joked that the final 500 metres felt like "the longest 500 metres in the world".

Sam said they wanted to take on something significant because people have less spare money at the moment.

He pointed out that many Islanders will have either cycled around the Island or completed Walk the Wight, and the trio wanted to combine the challenges to create something particularly demanding.

Their fundraising effort was supported by a number of Island businesses, including Sandown's Beach Buoys Watersports, The Recovery Room Isle of Wight, Hill Farm Stables in Freshwater, Calbourne-based Modh Design, Macros in Sandown, SJT Construction in Ryde and specialist coaches The Tri Guys.

London-based meal preparation company Plentifull also supported the challenge.