Teenager finishes five ultramarathons in five days

Emily is wearing a white shirt and black shorts with a hydration vest, she is in the foreground, hands on head. Several people in bright pink jackets and dark clothing stand nearby, some clapping and others taking photos. A pink event flag and a metallic balloon are visible, suggesting a celebratory moment. The background shows a stone seawall, water, and distant buildings under a gray, rainy sky.
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Emily Paton said it was "amazing" to complete her challenge

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A Jersey teenager has completed a fundraising challenge to run five ultra marathons in five days.

Emily Paton, 14, ran 50k (31 miles) each day to cover a total of 250k (155.3 miles) across the island.

She did it to raise funds for the cancer charity ABC Jersey, which helps islanders affected by the disease.

Emily has raised more than £2,200, external and in a post of social media the charity said it was "blown away by her determination and heart".

Emily is wearing a black jacket, shorts, and bright red trail shoes walking on a muddy path through open moorland. The sky is overcast with grey clouds, and the landscape features grassy areas and reddish-brown vegetation.Image source, David Cozens
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Emily faced challenging conditions on several of her runs

After completing the challenge on Saturday, Emily said: "I remember sitting in my kitchen that morning on day three and thinking I don't know how I'm going to do this especially because it rained so hard on day two - it was really quite difficult.

"It was absolutely amazing just to get it done... I really enjoy pushing myself, breaking boundaries, breaking limits."

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Emily said she hoped to inspire others and make a difference

She chose to raise money for breast cancer after her mum's friend who had the disease.

"My three goals going into this was have fun, make a difference and inspire other people, which I really hope I've done," she said.

"All of the pain, all of the late nights, all of the sleepless nights because my muscles were in so much pain it doesn't compare to what breast cancer patients have been through."

Sue is in a bright pink athletic shirt and black hydration vest, she stands in the foreground with arms behind her back. A pair of blue earbuds hang around her neck. In the background, a group of people in casual outdoor clothing stand near a marina filled with boats. Wet pavement and overcast skies indicate rainy weather.
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Emily's mum, Sue, said she was proud of her daughter

Emily was supported on her runs by friends and family. Her mum, Sue, joined in on parts of the challenge and cheered her on.

"She [Emily] is just the most determined person," she said. "If she sets her mind to do something she's always going to do it.

"I'm super proud of her because it's a friend of mine [who] got breast cancer, so that's who she thought of to do it for and I'm just super proud of her choosing that."

The money raised will help pay for financial, practical and emotional support as well as services like reconstruction tattooing.

Tracey is wearing a maroon quilted vest over a white long-sleeve top and stands in the foreground. Sunglasses rest on her head, and a teal bag is visible on her left shoulder. In the background, a group of people dressed in casual outdoor clothing gather near a circular stone structure. One person holds a transparent umbrella. The setting appears to be an elevated viewpoint with cloudy skies and wet pavement, suggesting recent rain.
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Tracey Carter from ABC Jersey said it has been moving to see Emily's support for the charity

Members of ABC Jersey cheered Emily over the finish line.

Tracey Carter from the charity said "I think I actually cried" when she heard about Emily's challenge, adding "we need younger people to get involved".

"We have ladies that are going through it who are quite young, hopefully not as young as Emily, so for her to do something like this for us, we're just blown away by it," she said.

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