Breaking barriers on Day Three of the ATC
ORGANISERS devised a track event that reflected the spirit of the All Terrain Challenge as a leveller that brings athletes of all abilities together.
Day three saw runners take part in an 800m relay, with a timing chip in the baton to give each one individual times.
It is now 25 years since the ATC first took place.
With the main organiser Geoff King living overseas and still unable to attend because of Covid restrictions, Nathan Ward is among those that have taken the lead locally to keep the event rolling.
But his personally history with the ATC is not all smooth.
‘Everyone talked about how inclusive it was, just what a great week it was – hard, but you enjoy it. I did it, I was 39, and in event four I got kidney stones and went to A&E, that was a bit of a wake up call. I had a night off in pain and came back to marshal.
‘The next year I came and because of shift work I had to miss the Wednesday and Thursday night. It was a great week and I was running well but other commitments meant that I couldn’t do the full week. So as yet, I’ve not finished it.
‘This year probably would have been a much bigger milestone had Geoff got here, it’s still his baby, he’s still involved remotely, so he’ll be helping do the results and we chat to him about the divisions.
‘He’s still heavily involved and when he can get back here he will take over.’
There is a tried and tested method of organising the event. Securing sponsorship early is key, and Trident Trust are in their second year with a commitment to one more.
Things normally begin around March.
There was a huge demand for places in 2021.
In 36 hours of opening the amount entered surpassed the entire field last year. 114 started.
‘I felt that when they opened the entries this year everybody wanted to book something up,’ said Nathan.
‘There have been some positives from Covid, people have been getting into training, using their outdoor time, look how sea swimming has taken off, running has benefited from that too.
‘Last year’s event was good, word of mouth has gone around and people have got their work mates to join in, people have got their friends to have a go.
‘When entries went live no-one knew what was going to happen internationally or in the UK, so I think people just wanted to get something booked in, a goal. People wanted something they could focus on and train towards.’
Everybody had an input into what events make up the week, with a skeleton based on what has been done in the past.
There needs to be parking and toilets.
Individuality is important too, not using courses that other races use.
‘The first night [a cliff race based around Saints Bay] is a good muster point with all the facilities you need. The first two nights aren’t divisionalised, so you need something, a feature, that’s going to make people spread out. That course works, with the uphill, downhill and the bottleneck.’
Race 2 is another mass start. A road 5k at Portelet means people can spread out on a normally closed road.
The track night tends to be Tuesday because that is when Guernsey Athletics are there for training.
Wednesdays have recently been based at Sausmarez Park, but the feedback from last year was that people did not like running on the gravel.
The size of this year’s field also presented challenges with that venue, so there has been a switch to a town time trial.
The Thursday event is something of a flagship on the iconic Icart loop.
‘A lot of people get a lot out of running the Icart loop, people like it and practice it regularly.’
Its history in local running also means it has benchmark times for people to chase down.
Friday is hill climb day.
If the weather is inclement, Saints hill has been used because of the shelter it offers.
Jerbourg steps are another option, another where there is a good chance to benchmark against other people.
On Saturday the event sails in to Herm – a tough race and a great social afterwards.
‘I think people come back because they like this format, and they like the way the week works and flows and the various distances.’
The ATC has proven its worth, not just in terms of the running challenge, but in helping build and bind Guernsey’s running community.
‘I feel you come to this event once and you will never turn up to an Athletics Club event again and not know anybody, not be able to go up and speak to anybody, so to me that’s a real positive. It’s a leveller. You look at Will Bodkin, an elite, and how he’s performing this year on the track, and you can go up to him and chat to him, have a beer with him.
‘I think when you first start running you look up to people training hard and achieving great success and think, well, they don’t drink, there’s no social accessibility, but this event just blows the doors off that. You leave this event with a completely different mindset of the athletes of Guernsey.’
Today’s [Weds 21 July] time trail takes place in Town. Competitors will meet at the cafe by the Model Yacht Pond at 6pm.
Results
Race 3 – 800m relay (times will be doubled for GC)
1 Will Bodkin 02:06; 2 Mikey Ingrouille 02:17; 3 Luke Richards 02:18; 4 Ben Foote 02:21; 5 Chris Norman 02:22; 6 Fabio Teles 02:24; 7 Ross Allen 02:25; 8 Marc Isabelle 02:26; 9 Gearoid Lee 02:27; 9 Samuel Goddard 02:27; 11 Agris Dulbinskis 02:28; 12 Matthew Atkinson 02:29; 13 Toby Mann 02:30; 13 James De Garis 02:30; 13 Iain Bailey 02:30; 13 Aaron Walden 02:30; 17 Andy Hatton 02:31; 17 David Mosley 02:31; 19 Adam Grogan 02:32; 19 Paul Hewitt 02:32; 21 Simon March 02:33; 21 William Fish 02:33; 23 Adam Dorey 02:34; 23 Paul Moriarty 02:34; 25 Daniel Legg 02:35; 25 Mickey Haimes 02:35; 25 Luc Blanchard 02:35; 28 Rosie Williams 02:39; 28 Steve Wilson 02:39; 30 Tomas Wilkins 02:40; 30 Sam Walden 02:40; 30 Melanie Nicolle 02:40; 33 Peter Beausire 02:41; 33 Tom O’Neil 02:41; 35 Jordan Smith 02:42; 36 James Starkey 02:43; 36 Darren Rouse 02:43; 36 Tim Wilson 02:43; 36 Jon Sexton 02:43; 40 Steven McCracken 02:44; 41 Penny Freeman 02:45; 41 Matt De Carteret 02:45; 43 Michael Le Page 02:46; 44 Matt Wadley 02:48; 45 Ruairi Harnden 02:49; 45 Dave Hockey 02:49; 45 Angus Kirby 02:49; 48 Derek Beatty 02:50; 48 Jenna Jackson 02:50; 50 Nick Hynes 02:51; 50 Natalie Finlayson 02:51; 52 Darren Smith 02:53; 52 Jason Powers 02:53; 54 Paul Domaille 02:54; 55 Harley Gavey 02:55; 56 Michael Way 02:56; 56 Daniella Le Flem 02:56; 56 Andrew Sexton 02:56; 56 Jocelyn McLellan 02:56; 60 Robert Gregson 02:57; 60 Steve Sarre 02:57; 60 Nathan Galliene 02:57; 60 Dan Hunter 02:57; 60 Chris O’Neil 02:57; 65 Brett Bewey 02:58; 65 Lorna Castle 02:58; 65 Cecil Carter 02:58; 65 Hannah Fitchet 02:58; 69 Emma Beardsell 02:59; 69 John Duggan 02:59; 71 Tania Shires 03:01; 71 Vicki Joyce 03:01; 73 Paul James 03:04; 74 Katy Hodgetts 03:06; 74 Nick Boughay 03:06; 74 Lucy Le Cocq 03:06; 74 Caroline Barby 03:06; 78 Suzi Druce 03:07; 79 Martin Boyde 03:10; 80 James Soden 03:12; 81 Jeanne Svejstrup 03:14; 82 Isabelle Mariess 03:15; 82 Elise Bott 03:15; 82 Matt Mason 03:15; 85 Nicola Sharp 03:16; 85 Joe Armstrong 03:16; 87 Mark Finlayson 03:19; 87 Gemma Le Sauvage 03:19; 89 Tony Veillard 03:20; 89 Louise Critchlow 03:20; 91 Craig Collins 03:21; 92 Susan Atkinson 03:26; 92 Sam Sexton 03:26; 92 Paula Dodd 03:26; 92 Gregory Josey 03:26; 92 Ali Mason 03:26; 97 Jemma Crouse 03:30; 98 Maree Wilms 03:31; 99 Laura Havard 03:35; 100 Juliette Yeaman 03:36; 101 Bev Dereham 03:36; 102 Alison Lihou 03:40; 102 Emma Alford 03:40; 104 Terry Harnden 03:43; 105 Sam Ingrouille 03:57; 106 Berni Gilman 04:03; 107 Alun Williams 04:06; 108 Jos Ensink 04:17; 108 Cath Birnie 04:17.
General Classification
Division 1
1 Will Bodkin 0:44:45; 2 Luke Richards 0:47:37; 3 Fabio Teles 0:48:50; 4 Chris Norman 0:50:19; 5 Ben Foote 0:50:43; 6 Toby Mann 0:51:26; 7 James De Garis 0:52:49; 8 Mikey Ingrouille 0:53:04; 9 Matthew Atkinson 0:53:49; 10 Andy Hatton 0:53:57; 11 Will Rutherford 0:54:18; 12 David Mosley 0:54:25; 13 Adam Grogan 0:54:29; 14 Marc Isabelle 0:54:52; 15 Aaron Walden 0:55:05; 16 Ross Allen 0:55:09; 17 Samuel Goddard 0:55:15; 18 Paul Hewitt 0:55:54; 19 Paul Moriarty 0:56:15.
Division 2
1 William Fish 0:56:12; 2 Simon March 0:56:26; 3 Rosie Williams 0:56:51; 4 Michael Le Page 0:56:55; 5 Adam Dorey 0:57:04; 6 Daniel Legg 0:57:12; 7 Sam Walden 0:57:37; 8 Gearoid Lee 0:58:09; 9 Nick Hynes 0:58:17; 10 Iain Bailey 0:58:28; 11 Elise Bott 0:58:42; 12 Dave Hockey 0:58:55; 13 Melanie Nicolle 0:59:19; 14 Steve Wilson 0:59:25; 15 Mickey Haimes 0:59:45; 16 Tim Wilson 1:00:05; 17 Jon Sexton 1:00:15; 18 Derek Beatty 1:00:34; 19 Dan Hunter 1:00:37; 20 Hannah Fitchet 1:00:45; 21 Robert Gregson 1:00:54.
Division 3
1 Agris Dulbinskis 1:00:25; 2 Steven McCracken 1:00:51; 3 Tom O’Neil 1:00:54; 4 Michael Way 1:01:21; 5 Jenna Jackson 1:01:55; 6 Darren Rouse 1:02:03; 7 Penny Freeman 1:02:08; 8 Jordan Smith 1:02:09; 9 Daniella Le Flem 1:02:16; 10 Matt Wadley 1:02:39; 11 Jocelyn McLellan 1:03:43; 12 Angus Kirby 1:04:17; 13 Jason Powers 1:04:31; 14 Chris ONeil 1:04:41; 15 Nick Boughay 1:04:43; 16 Vicki Joyce 1:04:55; 17 Caroline Barby 1:04:58.
Division 4
1 James Starkey 1:05:09; 2 Tania Shires 1:05:21; 3 Paul Domaille 1:05:22; 4 Peter Beausire 1:05:34; 5 Emma Beardsell 1:05:39; 6 Ruairi Harnden 1:05:534; 7 Natalie Finlayson 1:06:06; 8 Brett Bewey 1:06:084; 9 Lorna Castle 1:07:02; 10 Cecil Carter 1:07:05; 11 Katy Hodgetts 1:07:44; 12 Andrew Sexton 1:07:44; 13 Divon Crouse 1:07:48; 14 Steve Sarre 1:07:57; 15 Craig Collins 1:08:38; 16 Luc Blanchard 1:08:50.
Division 5
1 Matt De Carteret 1:09:48; 2 Paul James 1:10:13; 3 Gemma Le Sauvage 1:11:08; 4 Nathan Galliene 1:11:28; 5 Lucy Le Cocq 1:12:22; 6 Martin Boyde 1:13:07; 7 Nicola Sharp 1:13:32; 8 Suzi Druce 1:13:38; 9 Paula Dodd 1:13:56; 10 John Duggan 1:14:09; 11 Tomas Wilkins 1:14:13; 12 Darren Smith 1:14:29; 13 Matt Mason 1:15:51; 14 Jeanne Svejstrup 1:16:06; 15 Harley Gavey 1:16:34; 16 Isabelle Mariess 1:16:35; 17 Laura Havard 1:17:22; 18 Alison Lihou 1:17:38; 19 Juliette Yeaman 1:17:49.
Division 6
1 Ali Mason 1:18:15; 2 Joe Armstrong 1:18:25; 3 Jemma Crouse 1:18:35; 4 Gregory Josey 1:18:41; 5 Louise Critchlow 1:19:09; 6 James Soden 1:19:21; 7 Sam Sexton 1:20:07; 8 Emma Alford 1:20:23; 9 Susan Atkinson 1:21:54; 10 Terry Harnden 1:24:14; 11 Tony Veillard 1:24:38; 12 Maree Wilms 1:25:19; 13 Brendan Wilms 1:26:51; 14 Cath Birnie 1:28:06;15 Jos Ensink 1:28:35; 16 Sam Ingrouille 1:30:02; 17 Alun Williams 1:30:37; 18 Mark Finlayson 1:33:12; 19 Derek Gilman 1:35:42; 20 Berni Gilman 1:37:59; 21 Catherine Griggs 1:42:47.
