Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
A determined teenager ran much of the European Cross Country Championships with only one shoe, helping Great Britain and Northern Ireland claim a silver medal. Michael Clark, 17, from Norwich, lost his trainer within the opening 100 metres of the 5km race in Lagoa, Portugal. Despite the mishap, he carried on through the demanding trail and finished 18th, contributing significantly to his team’s overall success.
Clark described the experience as intensely painful. He explained, “I was in a lot of pain for most of the race,” noting his time of 13:39 was not only the second-fastest 5km in Europe in 2025 for the under-18s but also ranked 12th fastest worldwide in his age group. The incident occurred early when, as he put it, “I think someone clipped the back of my heel and my shoe was hanging off for a couple [of] strides.” Realizing the shoe was hindering his pace, Clark decided to discard it, determined to finish regardless.
Stopping to fix the shoe would have cost him too much time, leading Clark to push on with just a sock on his right foot. This resulted in severe damage as two areas on the sole were stripped of skin, and by the final lap—around two kilometers in—his foot was badly bruised and bleeding. Reflecting on his choice, he remarked, “I then would have probably been last place in the field by the time my shoe would have been back on.”
Clark’s perseverance proved crucial beyond his personal finish. Since only the top three runners from each nation contributed to the team’s score, his position was essential. He said, “I realised I was the third runner so needed to pick up as many places as possible to get the best result for our team.” The British team had initially been ranked fourth due to his timing chip being in the discarded shoe. When officials accounted for his actual finish time, Great Britain was elevated to a silver medal standing. Clark summarized the moment: “We were really lucky to get second.” His grit and determination secured an impressive achievement for himself and his team
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.