Seven laps of island in seven days completed for charity
A GUERNSEYMAN has managed to run seven laps of the island in seven days during one of the hottest weeks of the year.
Ben Langlois, 32, finished his final run at about lunchtime yesterday, after a gruelling week where he ran 422km.
He said it had been tough, but he was pleased with his last day’s time of six hours and 14 minutes – his fastest of the week.
‘It’s gone really well and it’s been so much fun,’ he said.
‘It’s been nice to be able to finish it.’
Most of his times have been just under seven hours, but yesterday, knowing he did not have another run today, he went all out and managed to achieve a personal best.
The chemistry teacher took on the challenge to raise money for brain tumour research, following the death of his uncle from the condition.
Each day he has started running at about 5am, which allowed him to finish by lunchtime, before the hottest part of the day. However, it was still taxing.
‘It’s been really good,’ he said. ‘I had run a lap of the island before, so I knew I could do that and I knew I could do it two or three times, but I was not sure I could do seven laps,’ he said.
He initially suffered blisters on his toes, which he was able to treat. But as the week went on, he began to struggle with more painful blisters on his heels.
Despite this he has managed to do each run in about seven hours. He started each run from his parents’ house at Port Soif.
‘I had some difficulty with the cliffs if I went clockwise,’ Mr Langlois said.
‘If I went clockwise, I would reach the cliffs later in the day and there is no shade, so it was difficult. I found if I went the other way I hit the cliffs earlier.’
He said the heat had been a challenge, but he had been fine with the early morning starts.
However he has not been suffering alone. He has found a number of islanders joining him for sections of his runs and he said it had been great to have the company.
Intersport sponsored the event.
Mr Langlois is aiming to raise £8,000 and so far he is about halfway there.
n To support him visit his website at https://bit.ly/2XrCdLa and to donate visit his Just Giving page at https://bit.ly/2xyU8F9.
