02/09/2026
🌟🏃♀️ STAR OF THE MONTH 🏃♀️🌟
Our Star of the Month, Vinnie Jackson, is taking us through her recent Cybi Marathon experience. 🏅
Vinnie has put together a fantastic piece, sharing the marathon in her own words — from her experience on the day to the highs, challenges and everything in between. ❤️🤍
Here’s Vinnie’s story… 👇
Its New years eve 2025, I'm sat on the roof terrace of a hotel in the depths of South West Columbia Jungle and Archaeological district called San Augustin, Im waiting for my daughter to get ready for us to go out into the town and let in the new year, I'm scrolling through the socials seeing that my friends and family have already seen in the new year in the UK as they are 7 hours a head of us! On the socials it pops up that the Cybi Coastal Marathon places were available from midnight (GMT) on the 1st of January. Great I can get a place without having to stay up past midnight. ( the rock and roll party diva in me thought.) So that is what I did and then went out for some lovely food and salsa and was back at the hotel watching the fireworks from the terrace in my PJ's ready to get to bed for another day of adventure and forgot about my moment of madness!
Fast forward to Saturday the 1st August and I am walking up to the RNLI Lifeboat station in Holyhead in Anglesey with Rebecca and going to meet up with Jim and Ross! After thinking this was going to be another solo Ronnie (the campervan) Road trip it was great to have other members of the club come along - I had also convinced them this was a good idea! The sun was shining, but we were lucky that it had cooled considerably from the previous weeks heatwave, the sea was blue - it looked and felt like we were in the Mediterranean!
The organisers gave a brief race event brief, the town crier said a few words and a local choir provided some entertainment and then we were on the start. The organisers are 3 local lads from Anglesey who wanted to join their love of the outdoors and local area to support their local RNLI crew. Its a no frills event - they make it clear that runners need to carry their own kit and bring bottles, cups, drinks and food as the checkpoints and stations will only provide water, sweets, fruit, crisps and flapjacks ( you don't need much more!) They aim to make it a low impact event, there were no plastic cups provided and medals are wooden! It felt that they organisers had really considered how to maintain that balance giving runners a great experience but with minimal impact on volunteer's time and their local community. The check points were all staffed and supported by locals who worked, volunteered or supported the local RNLI.
We were lucky with the weather the sun shone all day and there was a much welcomed breeze rolling in off the sea. If you have ever been to Holyhead Island and walked around south stacks you will know it is quite a climb - the rocky paths have been smoothed by years of harsh coastal weather - I remember thinking if it had been raining it would be so slippy and brutal as there is no shelter on that coastal path! There were places where trips and slips almost seemed inevitable if you were not checking the path ahead, watching your footing and had some confidence. I was fine in all these places - it was a speed bump on a flat car park at mile 16 that tripped my up and scuffed my hands and knees but some lovely supporters picked me up off the floor and dusted me off and sent me on my way!
The route heads towards Penrhos onto Silver Bay, passes through Rhoscolyn and Treaddur Bay before taking you round and over Mynydd Twr (holyhead mountian). Every turn had a stunning vista, we ran on road, through woods and forests, on tracks, trails and boardwalks, sand dunes beaches and coastal paths. It is for this reason the Runners world have ranked this marathon as the 8th hardest in the world - its not just a trail - its multi terrain. I'm not sure about that as haven't done any of the others in the top ten - what I will say is it was an extremely enjoyable marathon and quite possibly the most stunning and scenic run I have ever done and would encourage anyone who wants a nice weekend away in Anglesey with a long run involved to enter in the future and support this event - and then keep your fingers crossed it doesn't rain that year!
So, who wants to come to beachy head to have a go at the 4th hardest next year?!?!
