One thousand excited youngsters took to the streets of Tenby on Saturday afternoon for the IRONKIDS Wales, supported by Shanly Foundation.

Aimed at encouraging healthy participation in sport, the sold-out IRONKIDS Wales saw kids aged three to 14 years running a distance of between 500 metres and 1.5 kilometres through Tenby town centre, before crossing the red carpet and receiving their medals under the same iconic finish line arch used for IRONMAN Wales on Sunday.

While participants came from across Pembrokeshire and even as far afield as the USA, it was a trio of kids from Knowle, Bristol, who stole the show when they completed the last part of a six-month fundraising journey at the IRONKIDS Wales. In an effort to raise funds for their three-year-old friend who suffers from Leigh’s Disease, Ciaran Thompson (nine), his sister Erin (six), and his brother Cameron (three) completed the full distance of an IRONMAN over the past six months by covering 3.8km of swimming, 180.2km of cycling and 42.2km of running between the three siblings.

“I do it because my friend Jessica is poorly. If I raise money, it helps to make Jessica’s life better and helps her mummy and daddy,” Ciaran said.

Competing in his very first IRONKIDS event, Ciaran was happy to have the opportunity to participate while helping his friend.

“I feel really excited, I didn’t expect to get to do anything like this. I thought I would run my normal mile in the village I live in on the final week. I feel a bit sorry for the people who will do their IRONMAN all in one go, we’ve taken six months to do ours!” added Ciaran.

The IRONKIDS participants all received a hero’s welcome on the finish line, with thousands of spectators cheering them on and Welsh rugby legends Shane Williams and Ryan Jones presenting them with their medals as they crossed the line on the Tenby Esplanade.