Minquiers Marathon
The Most Southerly Marathon in the British Isles
With COVID-19 putting a stop to Rugby it was time for Jersey Reds Athletic rugby team to think outside the box! Head Coach Myles Landick decided it was time to make the most of the free time for the team, this was a chance to give back, and also keep the team together in the down time. … Thinking hats went on: A CHALLENGE WAS NEEDED….
Where did the marathon idea came from?
Seafari skipper and owner Richard Stevens also an Athletic player, did some calculations and reckoned that on a big spring tide there was possibly enough time to squeeze in a marathon on Les Minquiers sandbanks.
The 28th February was picked as one of the biggest tides of the year - The team would have about 4.5hrs to complete the run……but the sand would be sinking, soft and wet - this would be no simple task!
Chosen Charity - Friends of Jersey Oncology
This is a fantastic Jersey charity, close to the hearts of many, including players in the team. The funds raised will help provide additional care, comfort and support for patients and their loved ones during their treatment. A cancer diagnosis can have a huge impact on patients, their families and caregivers. A target of £5000 was set to raise in a couple of weeks - at the time of writing an incredible £6,700 has been raised!!! You can still donate here (or if that page has now expired you can donate on the FOJO JustGiving page.)
Jersey Reds athletic Minquiers Marathon - Friends of Jersey Oncology (pic: Bam Perspectives)
Race Logisitics
This was never going to be a typical marathon. For a start the course is under the water the majority of the time. The plan was to start as soon as possible, jump onto the sand however small and start running….in ever increasing circles!!! It was decided the best option was to run it as a relay - Over 25’s vs Under 25’s. Two teams of 5 runners would complete a marathon distance (26.2 miles / 42.2 km) in competition with one another to finish before the tide!!
Both teams begun their training on various beaches around Jersey - the softer the sand the better. Each runner would have to run a total of 5.25 miles / 8.8km each to complete the distance.
Marathon Day
Sunday 28th February was surprisingly good weather for mid winter!!! Very sunny, but a tad windy NE F5/6 (!) - not ideal Seafari conditions for the Minquiers!! But the boys had raised too much money to let a little cold salt spray stop them… It was GO TIME!
Check out 3 CI Sport International’s video of the day!!
The teams
The ‘Over 25’ team: Richard Stevens, Tommy Turner, Nathan Rogers, Rupert Lee & Tim Corson were on their chosen vessel Seafari Harrier. Rich doubling up running and skippering with cabin-boy Josh Chamier by his side. They were also joined by Marc from Bam Perspective (thanks for all the incredible shots!), Big Stu Crawford was designated first aider, specialising in logistics and morale boosting! And finally, Tom Wilson Jersey Reds Athletic very own Cambridge Graduate in charge of timing and officiating! He was armed with a white board, various watches, a razor sharp brain and some incredible home cooked sausage rolls - we were in safe hands!!
The ‘Under 25’ Team: Dom Mayo, Rowan Milne, Chris Voss, Arthur Preget & Mark Boarer. Were transported on The Seafari Raptor with Seafari skippers Martin and Patch. They were joined by Mark and Daniel from 3 CI Sport and Jersey Reds TV who were going to be capturing some video content of the day - thanks for your efforts guys! Then of course there was Mylo Jersey Reds Athletic Head Coach, Chief Fundraiser, All Round Legend and best Marathon Watcher of his age!! El Presidente Cliff Chipperfield took the last spot with the all important post race beers!!
The Race
After a blustery somewhat damp trip down, the boats and teams arrived at the Minquiers at 1045 to no sign of any sand. Rupert aka ‘GunsnChest’ however was warming up & ready on the ‘Overs’ boat with a well practiced routine of tricep dips and press ups. At 1100 on the dot with the first grain of sand in view - he was off - the race had started!! Meanwhile on Raptor the ‘Unders’ first runner Arthur with typical French flair was not fussed and started in his own time a few minutes later!
It was clear the plan of running a couple of 4.5km stints each was off the cards after a couple of mins when ‘Guns’ was left with hand on hips passing the mantle on to Tommy T. The sand was very wet, and worryingly soft!!!
The tide retreated and as the course got bigger both teams settled into a rhythm, the wetter, firmer sand seemed the best option. After about 10km it seemed both teams were on track to complete the distance before the tide raced back in. Both teams went for a tactic of about a 1km run followed by 25 mins of beach games and Wilson’s sausage rolls before they were running again.
Around the half way mark, Wilson had managed to be ‘Rain Man’ and worked out that both teams were due to finish within a minute of each other - cue competitive attitudes!! The pace quickened as a harder patch of sand around 1km long on the north end of the bank was found - the boys were flying!!!
In the end the younger legs prevailed, even with Boarer managing to pause the GPS watch and running an extra km!! They finished in 3 hrs 30 minutes, 5 minutes later Athletic Captain Tim Corson crossed the finish line for the ‘Overs’. The most Southerly marathon in the British Isles was completed (twice)!!!
There was time for a few celebratory beers, before potentially the wettest Seafari return from the Minquiers in history!!! Job done and some fantastic money raised for Friends of Jersey Oncology!! Well done & thank you to all involved!!
All Photographs Marc from Bam Perspectives