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First place for Angelo in Half Marathon medal competition

First place for Angelo in Half Marathon medal competition

Angelo Arwen has been crowned the winner of The Scottish Salmon Company’s (SSC) medal competition, in partnership with Skye Events. His winning design will now feature on the medals at the SSC Isle of Skye Half Marathon (Saturday 11 September).

Pupils from Portree High School’s S5 graphic communication class were tasked with designing medals for the runners taking part in this year’s race. With SSC as the headline sponsor, each entry was asked to incorporate its core values: pride, passion, provenance and, of course, the Isle of Skye.

With 20 entries, the task of choosing a winner was not easy for the SSC judges. Angelo’s design of a runner in front of Skye’s two Cuillin mountain ranges which dominate the island’s landscape was judged to be the most eye-catching. The 15-year-old was awarded a gift voucher from Inside Out, a local outdoor clothing and equipment store, as well as some Scottish Salmon.

Once the winning design was picked, the S4 practical woodwork class then took charge of the fabrication and assembly of the medals, using a laser cutter to create 900 in total.

Capacity for this year’s event has been reduced by almost a third and a dedicated COVID-19 officer has been working with organisers to ensure all the necessary safety protocols are adhered to, with runners asked to take a lateral flow test ahead of the race.

Runners from all over the UK will be taking part alongside hundreds from the local area, experiencing breath taking views of the island as they make their way around the 13.1 mile route.

Su Cox, Communications and Business Development Director at The Scottish Salmon Company, said: “It was a tough decision to choose a winner as the level of creativity and standard of work was so high. Thank you to all the pupils for their eye-catching entries.

“Well done to Angelo who came up with a brilliant design that brings Skye’s Cuillin mountain ranges to life and captures our values of pride, passion and provenance.

“We are proud to sponsor the race for the fifth year running. With thanks to the committee and all the volunteers, it is set to be a memorable post-lockdown event for the local community.”

Tony Breen, Head Teacher at Portree High School, said: “The Scottish Salmon Company’s medal competition has been a really valuable experience for pupils to develop their skills in a real-life context.

“The production of the medals showed pupils how the design, prototyping and mass manufacture of a product can happen within a small timeframe. “

Sam Crowe, Project Manager at Skye Events said: “Thank you to The Scottish Salmon Company for supporting Skye Events in our drive to develop a more sustainable event. As part of this work, we have moved away from a traditional metal medal, which is hard to recycle, to a more sustainable wooden option. Runners can also repurpose the medal as it is the ideal size for a coaster.

“We are grateful to Craig Stewart at Portree High School who worked with us when we decided to change our medals. Special thanks to the children who created fantastic designs and worked hard to produce 900 medals for us, quite a feat."