Tonight | Summer in the Isles of Scilly on SBS: island runners race the ferry – Runners have to keep pace with the ferries in the opening episode of Summer in the Isles of Scilly. The four-part series premieres Friday 30 October at 8:35pm on SBS and streams free on SBS On Demand.
Narrated by Fern Britton, the programme visits the archipelago 28 miles off Cornwall. Only five of its 140 islands are inhabited, giving the first episode a clear way to explore both the landscape and the close-knit community.
Scilly60 crosses five islands
The Scilly60 ultramarathon sends runners around each inhabited island under a strict time limit. They must finish each stage quickly enough to catch the race ferry to the next island. Missing the boat means the journey cannot continue as planned.
That format makes transport between islands part of the event itself, not just the route to the starting line. The race also gives the episode a way to move through several parts of the archipelago.
Inside Tresco’s Abbey Gardens
The premiere also visits Abbey Gardens on Tresco. The islands’ subtropical climate allows the gardens to sustain more than 20,000 types of flora and fauna from over 80 countries. The visit adds another side of island life beyond the runners and their ferry deadlines.
Summer in the Isles of Scilly airs Friday 30 October 2026 at 8:35pm on SBS and streams on SBS On Demand.
Read more in TV Central’s SBS coverage. Watch on SBS On Demand.
