Tri club secures funding to 'showcase island' with Granite Man weekender

Organisers of Guernsey’s biennial triathlon spectacle have received a grant from the Tourism Development Fund, enabling them to develop the event into a multi-sporting ‘weekender’ based at the Peninsula Hotel.

The main event takes place on Sunday 1 September and will provisionally feature a swim at Rousse, two-lap west coast cycle and a run that incorporates Les Vardes quarry – possibly more than once – and eliminates the landfill site at Chouet. The grant will help support additional technology during the race.

But Guernsey Triathlon Club president Emily Squire says an adventure swim on the Friday, plus a 5km fun run and sprint-distance race on the Saturday, are also among the plans.

‘We’re encouraging French tri clubs and Jersey tri clubs,’ she said.

‘The idea will be that if someone’s coming over, they can bring the whole family because there’s going to be a swim on the Friday, 5k and the kids’ event on the Saturday, and then the main event on the Sunday

‘The whole family can come and take part. It’s a friendly sport and it’s a friendly community but it’s really encouraging that, so there’ll be something for everybody over the weekend.’

Fellow Triathlon Club stalwart Amy Critchlow called the plans ‘awesome’ and has highlighted the potential for more development in the future.

‘This year’s a bit more of a trial run for a new format and to see if it could work as a potential shoulder season sports tourism event.’

Among their other ambitious plans is to make it a qualifier for international Professional Triathletes Organisation events.

This would come alongside a slight alteration to the distance, with the swim extended marginally to 2km, but the bike shortened to 80km and the run trimmed to 18km. This is 13km shorter than previous Granite Man races.

However, first and foremost, they want to provide an event that brings tourists to the island.

‘It’s more showcasing Guernsey, showcasing the coastal areas, doing something a bit different, and the quarry is great because it’s a sub-sea level run,’ Critchlow said.

‘The triathlon is really more of an adventure triathlon, rather than your normal flat ride, flat run.

‘We want to put on something a bit different for people to want to come over. So, adventure triathlon.’

• More on the Guernsey Triathlon’s 2024 calendar to follow