Michael George (above) took victory in the Guernsey Church to Church walk with Marie Jackson (11th overall) winning the women’s event. Jock Waddington was 4th, Vinny Lynch 6th, Sean Hands 11th, Simon Cox 13th, Dave Mackey 14th and Mo Cox 18th (3rd woman). Results from Paul Jackson in Guernsey.
Michael George and Marie Jackson
were the stars of the day as they finished in first place in the Mens and
Womens walks respectively, writes Rob Elliott. For the first time in many years all the walkers
started together with a combined total of 38 toeing the start line. Michael
George, complete with a large contingent of fellow Isle of Man walkers and
supporters, was expected to be in the leading group and true to form
headed the field for most of the walk, followed by past winner Jim Ball,
leading Guernsey walker Jason Le Noury and Jock Waddington. Marie Jackson was in
a class of her own amongst the women, walking comfortably amongst her male
rivals.
Walking from St Peter Port, up to St
Martins, along to Forest and then turning to Torteval Church at six and a half
miles, George held around a minutes lead, which at that point is still not
always a winning lead. Dropping down the valley and up the hill to St Saviours
Church at eight and a half miles the gap was the same. George was timed at
76.40, followed by Jock Waddington, Jason Le Noury and Jim Ball at 77.45.
Sean Hands (IOM) went by in
79.20, with Vinny Lynch (IOM) and Peter Ryan in around 80 minutes. Second local
walker Phil Lockwood was another minute down. Leading woman Marie Jackson went
past in 84.20.
Michael
George, having walked from St Saviours, down to St Andrews and Castel
Church, before the long downhill to the Friquet, then on to the Vale Church 15
miles point, was still looking strong. He had increased his lead on Jim Ball
(Steyning AC), who had now left Jason Le Noury and Jock Waddington (IOM). Le
Noury, looking tired, had a narrow lead of about 50 yards at this point. Jock
Waddington soon closed the gap and the two walked together for a few miles,
before Jason Le Noury broke away in the final mile.
Still looking good along the final
seafront miles, Michael George got under the three hours mark with 2.57.17. Jim
Ball, struggling over the final miles, crossed the line in 3.02.38 in second
place. First local home, Jason Le Noury, having moved closer to a tiring Ball,
claimed third place to win the Victory Cup for first Channel Islander home with
a new personal best time of 3.03.39. He had a good day as he also won the Under
25 trophy and had a share of the Parish Shield with brother Stuart and Phil
Lockwood.
Jock Waddington, a Parish Walk
Champion in the Isle of Man over 85 miles, was lost for speed as he finished
half a minute down on Jason, to take fourth place. Peter Ryan, another past
winner, walked a similar time to last year as he finished in fifth place to
claim the Healthspan Super Vets Tankard.
Second local walker home was Phil
Lockwood, with a new personal best time of 3.09.40 for 7th place, not too far
behind Vinny Lynch (IOM) in sixth.
Others to complete the top 10 were
Sean Hands, the Isle of Man Parish Walk record holder in 8th, followed by
Arthur Thomson, who is a multi age group Champion at world level and holds
World Age Best times at M70 at all distances from 3,000 to 30,000 metres. His
9th place time was 3.16.48, a few minutes ahead of four times Church winner Ed
Shillabeer. Thomson also won the Ilford AC Vets trophy
Marie Jackson, 11th overall and
first woman clocked a fast 3.19.46, the second quickest time ever by a woman.
Helen Starling making the trip from Redcar, was the second woman home in
3.45.21, followed by Isle of Man walker Maureen Cox in 3.54.11. Maureen also
took home the trophy for the first husband and wife across the line with
husband Simon.
The film above is from the 1992 event with Manxman Steve Partington to the fore (he finished second to record breaker Mark Easton) and the man who features in all walking events there, Rob Elliott, took the photo of Ben Scott at 23 miles in the Guernsey Marathon on Sunday where Ben set a personal best.
Ben Scott (below) was fourth in the Guernsey Marathon the previous Sunday