Triathletes from UK and France descend on island

GUERNSEY'S first Granite Man is coming at the weekend.

Getting under way at 7.30am on Sunday at Pembroke, a middle distance triathlon is commonly known as a half-Ironman and consists of a 1.9km sea swim, 90km bike and 21km run.

It is an increasingly popular distance and the island's inaugural event has attracted widespread interest among Channel Islands, UK and French triathletes.

'The response we have had has been fantastic,' said Mark Naftel, president of the Guernsey Triathlon Club.

'We were confident when the committee first discussed the idea of staging a middle-distance triathlon in the island that we would be able to attract a large number of athletes.

'However, with enquiries and entries still coming in on a daily basis, we are expecting to have around 100 people taking part.'

Bank of Butterfield, Ian Brown's Cycle Shop, CI Lighting and PowerBar are sponsoring the occasion.

In order to attract as many competitors as possible, the GTC, which is sponsored by De Putron Fund Management (Guernsey) Ltd, has included a sprint and team event in the race.

'A middle-distance triathlon is not something to be entered into lightly,' said Tim Johns, chief race marshal of the GTC.

'It is a huge step up from the more common Olympic distance and requires considerable training. Therefore, to allow for more people to get a taste of triathlon, we have also organised a sprint event which will be held over the more manageable distances of 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

'In addition, it is possible for teams to enter the middle-distance event so that each member tackles one leg each. This has proved pretty popular, with keen interest from the Guernsey Velo Club and Guernsey Island Amateur Athletics Club.'