This Is Guernsey

Rugby star Jim Elliott and consultant Rachel Sauvage will be taking part in the challenge next week. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0607611)

NEXT week sees the start of one of the highlights in the local athletics calendar. The newly branded OSA Recruitment All Terrain Challenge takes participants through their paces along cliffs, roads and track in a week-long  competition.

Aimed at people of all levels of fitness, the Guernsey Island Amateur Athletics Club’s event is now in its 13th year and is as popular as ever.

It starts with a relatively gentle 4km road race and also includes a five-mile cliff-path race around Icart as well as one of the most feared highlights of the All Terrain – the 800m cliff hill time trial at Jerbourg’s Telegraph Bay.

The seventh and final race in the event is a four-mile cross country around Herm. The All Terrain attracts a range of participants.

Jim Elliott, a trust manager at Richmond Fiduciary Group Ltd and man of  the match in this year’s Siam Cup, is entering his third, having had a break last year.

‘I thought the All Terrain would make for good preseason training. It’s a week-long event so if you’re not fit at the beginning, you certainly will be by the end,’ he said.

Training for the challenge can vary. Some runners start preparing weeks before the event, while others may do only a small amount.

‘I have to admit, I haven’t done quite as much preparation as I did the first and second years. However, I think it all depends on how competitive you want to be,’ Elliott said.

‘Some people enter just for the personal challenge, while for others it’s a serious competition. I think that’s what makes it so appealing.

‘The All Terrain is open to everyone and is an extremely social event,’ he added.

The GIAAC splits participants into four divisions depending on ability. Whereas division one will include some of Guernsey’s leading athletes, the event caters for participants of all standards.

For Rachel Sauvage, a consultant at Orchard PR, this year’s event will be her third.

Having originally viewed the All Terrain as only for the ‘real’ athletes of this world, she was pleasantly surprised at the sense of camaraderie between the participants.

‘A friend of mine got me into running a couple of years ago and set me the challenge of entering the All Terrain. I thought she was mad but I did it and two years later I am entering again,’ she said.

Sauvage has been training for the challenge with weekly cliff runs as well as taking part in the GIAAC’s weekly Summer Handicap Series.

‘You do need a basic level of fitness as the cliff runs are quite hard going and involve a lot of steps, but I am testament to the fact that you do not necessarily have to be an athlete to take part.

‘Everybody is so supportive: no matter what level you are, there are always people around to encourage and cheer you on,’ she said.

Elliott agreed that one of the best things about the All Terrain is that it is a fun and inclusive event.

‘It’s a really social event, you get to meet a lot of new people and the organisers are fantastic.

‘The drink in the nearest pub after each race, particularly on the last day in Herm, is always a winner.’

Geoff King, GIAAC member and organiser of the event, explains that year on year runners return for the All Terrain, either to improve on their personal best, or even to win their particular group event.

‘The All Terrain Challenge provides a week of varied runs and distances, appealing to both novice and serious competitors. However, it is the real sense of achievement that participants can take away from this event which is important to us.

‘Often the All Terrain can lead to participants taking part in other GIAAC events, which is fantastic for us to see, and in some cases all the way to the Island Games.’

Article posted on 22nd July, 2008 - 2.29pm