Runners hit the roads over the bank holiday weekend for the annual Guernsey Easter Festival.
Jersey Invaders Luke Holmes and Bradley Andrews-Kalek took first place in the traditional race on the fast and flat coastal course, with Louise Small returning to the island to take the women’s prize.
Run 1 5km, L’Eree to Vazon, April 3rd
It was a record start to the EY Easter Festival as runners made the most of the favorable wind as they raced down the west coast of Guernsey.
Holmes set a new record, leading the field in 14:15, while Small is now the fastest woman on the west coast for 5km in 15:44.
There were some impressive performances in the field, with Eloise Scholes’ 16:32 the best on the new island.
The weather was pretty miserable before the start of the race as the wind and light rain battered the runners in the open L’Air, but the racing that unfolded more than made up for it.
A leading group of four men quickly established themselves at the head of the field as Andrews-Kalek led Holmes, previous course record holder Calum Tarmey and Guernsey’s Jack Rees through the first kilometer in the dead of three minutes.
Holmes then took control, blazing a 2:48 split for the second km and holding the pace from there, her time also rated an age best.
Small’s 15:44 was the second best age mark. The 34-year-old previously won the 5km here in 2024 and her time was a personal best, but it is unlikely to register as such due to the point-to-point nature of the course with her tailwind.
Men’s overall. 1 L Holmes (Jers, U20) 14:16; 2 B Andrews-Callec (Jers) 14:28; 3 C Tharme (Cambus) 14:43; 4 Jay Rees (Gern) 14:46; 5 L Le Cheminant (Guern) 14:53
M60: 1 C Merfield (Gern) 18:09
U13: 1 P Friedrich (Gern) 16:09
Women in general. 1 L Small (AFD) 15:44; 2 A Scholes (Gern) 16:34; 3 N Whitty (W40) 17:03
W45: 1 U Maisch (Guern) 18:14
W70: 1 J Morgan (St Ed) 23:52
W75: 1 S Garner (Ling) 27:37
Race 2: Kate Falla Memorial Full Course, L’Ancresse Common, April 4
Louise Small made it two from two with a comfortable victory in the women’s field on day two of the EY Easter Running Festival.
While Small (Aldershot, Farnham & District) was restless over the full course of the Keith Falla Memorial, there was a good battle for the podium places in the men’s race.
Callum Tarm, who won the inaugural 5km race last year, edged out Jersey’s Bradley Andrews-Kalek to take the cross-country section on the traditional route of L’Ancresse Common.
Tharme, Andrews-Kalek and Jack Rees were locked together until Tharme took the lead at the back of the field to win in 24:29.
Andrews-Kalek and Rees are second in the race, with the Jerseyman leading it by a metre.
Small was tenth overall in 27:45, with Eloise Scholes, like the day before, taking the second fastest women and Zoe Pflug taking the podium places.
The age rating award went to St Edmund’s Pacers over 70, Jenny Morgan, long-time Guernsey and now M45 serviceman Lee Merrien, and Minor third.
Total (4.75 M). 1 C Tharme (Cambus) 24:29; 2 B Andrews-Callec (Jers) 25:07; 3 Jay Rees (Gern) 25:08; 4 Jay Morewood (AFD) 25:17; 5 A Stewart (B&W) 25:42; 6 L Merrien (Guernsey, M45) 25:54
M60: 1 S Galpin (Gern) 34:07
Women. 1L Small (AFD) 27:46; 2 E Scholes (Guernsey) 29:00; 3 Z Plow (Cambus) 30:02
W45: 1 U Maisch (Guernsey) 30:59
W70: 1 J Morgan (St Ed) 38:44
Race 3, Cross Country Relay, Delancey, April 5
The event can be a bit of a light affair with lots of mixed teams taking part, so it was meant to be a chance to take a break from the serious racing, but there were plenty of runners who still let loose in an action-packed relay event.
It was a busy and fun morning with 52 teams on the start line in the senior event, each team consisting of four runners who completed a one mile loop through Delancey Park.
There was some notable elbowing to the finish line among people who should probably have known better who shall remain nameless, and in the end the Muggle Smugglers team of Michael Lambourn, Toby Mann, Mikey Ingruy and Jack Rees were victorious.
The fastest laps went to Luke Holmes and Louise Small.
Total (4x1M). 1 Muggles 21:25 (M Lambourne 5:17, T Mann 5:33, M Ingrouille 5:22, J Rees 5:12); 2 Bristol Distance 22:22; 3 Holeshead Bros 10.22pm
Fastest: L Holmes 4:56; G Robilliard 5:07. A Stewart 5:09; J Rees 5:12; J Morewood 5.13; P Friedrich 5:16
Women. L Small 5:52; E Scholes 5:53; R Lord 5:59
Race 4, 10km, Grands Roque to Northside, April 6
Bradley Andrews-Kalek became the third individual winner of the festival when he reversed the run to lead Callum Tarmy by a minute after clocking 30:44.
This meant the Jersey junior secured first place overall and a useful cash bonus.
It was a simpler situation to decide the overall winner of the women’s race as Louise Small made it three wins from three with a two-minute victory over top W40 Natalie Whitty in 34:06.
Although point-to-point on the coastal course in the north of the island, there is enough freedom with the change of running direction that the event is worthy of ranking and personal best performances.
In general. 1 B Andrews-Callec (Jers) 30:44; 2 C Tharme (Cambus) 31:38; 3 Jay Rees (Gern) 32:18; 4 Jay Morewood (AFD) 32:22; 5 J Priest (Guern) 33:21
Women. 1L Small (AFD) 34:06; 2N Whitty (Guernsey, W40) 36:31; 3Z Plow (Cambus) 37:52
W45: 1 U Maisch (Guern) 38:35
