Jack runs first ever road marathon – and shatters course record!

Oakes, who normally runs longer distances off road, clocked a personal best 2 hours 35 minutes and one second to beat 2018 winner Gary Marshall into second place.

The previous IoW marathon record had been Bournemouth runner Peter Thompson’s 2 hours 40 minutes and 29 seconds.

‘This was my first road marathon, albeit a very hilly one with about 1,500 feet of elevation,’ said Oates, 23.

Oates caught up with Marshall at the four mile point, and ran virtually alongside him until the 20-mile mark before making his move.

Oates has enjoyed a successful race spell since returning from travelling in the Far East and Australasia with girlfriend Kelly in June.

While Down Under, Oates won the Franz Josef Duathlon in a new course record time.

That was despite having to take part in the 22km cycle ride on a borrowed kids’ bike!

Since returning to the UK, Oates set a new course record at the Serpent Trail 10km, an event that finished in Petersfield.

He also broke the course record in winning Dorset’s Crafty Fox half marathon, while in July he completed the 36-mile Snowdonia Trail ultra marathon in north Wales with his dad Gary.

In 2018 Oates broke the Snowdonia marathon record by 15 minutes – even though he had never been up a mountain before!

His next event is a 50-mile trail run through the Wendover Woods in Hertfordshire next month.