This Is Guernsey

PAUL HOOKER was the quickest of the trio of GIAAC distance runners competing in the one of the more unusual marathons, the Beachy Head event in Eastbourne. The course takes runners over the South Downs and is best described as a hilly cross-country marathon including the usual stiles, gates, walls and cattle grids to be crossed, passes through several small villages en route.

Its last six miles are over the gruelling Seven Sisters hills and another two mile climb before dropping down to the finish back at Beachy Head.

The organisers restrict entries to 700 runners, 700 joggers and 350 walkers and this enables the marshal points to cope with the spread of abilities.

The conditions were ideal with the temperature up on the average for the time of year and little wind, and Hooker running his second Beachy Head marathon was the first local home in three hours 43 minutes, just two minutes outside his time of last year and finishing a very creditable 48th overall.

Next home was Roger Naftel running his third Beachy Head marathon. He placed 235th with four hours 26 minutes and only 11 minutes outside his own personal best.

This too was an outstanding performance considering his running schedule of the previous three weekends consisting of the 15-mile cliff path race and a training run on the Church-to-Church route in Guernsey and followed by the Exmoor stagger (a 16-mile cross-country run).

Coming in one minute later and having been overtaken by Naftel in the last half mile was Greg Robert, who on his Beachy Head debut, suffered stomach problems from half distance and had to walk much of the last 10 miles.