A BEE, an octopus, a gorilla and a squirrel were among over two hundred runners that took on a series of running races recently for charity.
The annual Festival of the Mile event raised around £1,000 for the Jersey Heart Support Group.
The event, sponsored by both Rathbones and Randalls, took place at FB playing fields on Sunday 20 July.
After the junior mile and adult mile had been completed, twelve local mascots took to the track for a 400m dash.
Hearty, representing Jersey Heart Support Group, secured victory – with Jersey Bill’s Beany the Bull and RBC’s Leo the Lion close behind.
Rich English, who ran as the Jersey Heart Support Group mascot, said: “I knew Hearty had to be fast off the blocks to stand a chance and, let me tell you, running 400 metres in a mascot suit is no joke.
“You can barely see, and breathing is a whole other issue. But I gave it everything and somehow, Hearty crossed the line first!
“It was great fun, great vibes and as always, such an amazing community spirit. I truly hope we see even more mascots in the race next year.”
Over 130 runners took part in the final event of the day, the Randalls Beer Mile.
Participants had to drink a half-pint of beer before racing a lap of the track – and then repeat this all four times to achieve the mile distance.
Rahul Kini won the Beer Mile with a time of five minutes 48 seconds, while Bex Harris was fastest female in eight minutes and 12 seconds.
The event is set to take place again next year on Sunday 19 July 2026 at FB Fields to mark the fundraiser’s fifth anniversary.
