Anya Culling became the first woman to break three hours in the PwC Bermuda Marathon on Sunday.

Culling stopped her watch at 2hrs 58min 19sec, more than 12 minutes quicker than the previous best of 3:10:52 set by American Megan Gubbins in 2020. She finished third overall in the marathon and also won the Chubb Full Bermuda Triangle Challenge.

Having represented England in the marathon at major events, the time came as no surprise to Culling but the difficulty of the run did.

“It was good but it was hard,” Culling said.

“Most marathons I target are as flat and as quick as you can get, but this was a great practice in grinding it out. So many races recently, I get to the last 10K and I almost slow down a bit because I’ve lost the fight, but this one I was so determined to get under three hours. It was a real mental game and I love that, it’s more rewarding that way.”

Culling was paced by her partner both on and off the roads, Joe Cooper, and she is convinced she would have struggled to break three hours but for his presence.

“Joe helped me so much and at every water station he would grab the water,” Culling said.

“After 10K I thought it was so hard because it was all headwind, then it started to get easier but words of encouragement help you believe you can do it. I did tell him to leave me quite a few times but I would have slowed down much more if he did.

“It was massively harder on the legs than I thought it would be. I train in Battersea Park and that has just one metre of elevation, so this was probably a good strength workout. If I can do that, then London this year should be a breeze.”

Just ten days ago Culling was unsure if she would compete in all three legs of the Triangle Challenge, but the vibe surrounding the event compelled her to take part

“We came to Bermuda and we thought we’d only get this opportunity very rarely and why not just get the full experience and I’m so pleased that we did all three,” Culling said.

“I never run a mile so Friday night was cool and the 10K was hard and this morning I woke up and thought my legs don’t feel that fresh and I’m going to do a marathon, so it adds a different level.

“It feels like you are really pushing yourself and every day of the challenge you are waking up with your game face on.”

With her social-media presence, Culling has been recognised a lot on her travels around Bermuda, but she is thrilled by the attention.

“It’s so beautiful and it was really sunny yesterday so we went to the beaches on South Shore,” Culling said.

“That was more enjoyable yesterday than running it was today. I kept having to remind myself that I am in Bermuda and it’s so cool but it’s actually crazy the amount of people who have recognised me or pointed me out and it makes me think if they believe in me then I better push it.”

Perhaps the most surprised marathon runner of the whole day was Lorita Su, who finished runner-up to Culling and was the first female Bermuda resident to finish.

Su crossed the line in 3:39:58 and was thrilled to be sharing the podium with an international running star.

“I think I can retire now because when am I ever going to get on a podium again with an elite athlete,” Su said.

“This is the first ever time on a podium anywhere and I’m very happy because of the endorphins but I don’t expect to be able to walk tomorrow.”

Su moved to Bermuda three years ago and only started running a couple of years ago, competing in the marathon for the first time last year, and she is delighted with the impact the sport has had on her life.

“I would say this event started my running journey and it’s great to be able to run and enjoy the beauty of the island all day long,” Su said.

“I actually did the Challenge last year and that was my first marathon ever. Last year I did 4hrs 30min, so I took off almost an hour this time.

“I’m from Montreal and I moved here three years ago. I love Bermuda and I love the people here. It’s a great place to be career-wise but it’s an even better place to be for the community and you build up relationships here that are just not comparable to what you could build elsewhere.”