MASTERS race-walker Rob Elliott (pictured) stepped across the start line for the 1,000th time in a race-walking event on Sunday in the Sarnia Walking Club’s 5,000 metres track walk.

Having taken his first race-walk steps in late 1970 as an 11 year old and with his best days behind him, he could not celebrate with a win to add to his total.

‘Race walking is my main sporting interest. I’ve had lots of enjoyment from it over the years with some success and still need to do something to keep relatively fit as I get older,’ said the man who turns 50 next month and who admitted that another Church-to-Church is not out of the question.

‘I will keep going for foreseeable future as I still have targets to aim at and feel the need to keep going for the sake of Guernsey’s improving walkers. I can still be a useful target for them as they lap me.’

Carl Thomson dominated the walk once he had shrugged off the early challenge of Jason Le Noury.