Steph Twell, right, as a 16-year-old three years ago on her way to victory in the women’s section of the Good Friday 10k at Port Soif. She returns to action in Guernsey this weekend. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0296518)

STEPH TWELL arrived in Guernsey yesterday as the feature attraction for the annual Easter Runs.

This year’s festival of four runs in as many days has new sponsors in KPMG and with Olympian Twell back after missing the 2008 event, local athletics followers will get the opportunity to see how much the girl, regularly tagged as the new Paula Radcliffe, has improved in two years.

But Twell, 19, is not the only top athlete on the bill.

Among a group of nine quality runners from Mick Woods’ Aldershot, Farnham and District club group is GB junior international Emma Pallant.

The men’s entry is headed by Zimbabwean exile Williard Chinhanhu who, two years ago, shocked everyone when he hit the front of the Good Friday 10k and kept pulling away from Guernsey’s Lee Merrien.

That year he not only clocked one of the fastest 10k times of the year in the UK, but also a record for the Easter Monday half-marathon, with a time of 63min. 25sec.

Although he has battled against injury since, Chinhanhu showed he is getting back to form with a 66min. 49sec. for seventh place in the big Reading Half.