Charity walker begins three-lap trek of island

Mark Prevel, 61, is aiming to run and walk two laps of the island today, ahead of completing a third and final lap as part of the 39-mile Saffery Rotary Walk tomorrow.

He started his challenge in Town, and hoped to finish his double trip around the island in under 20 hours in order to make the start line of the walk at the Guernsey Information Centre at 4.30am.

By the end of his third lap, he will have covered more than 100 miles.

Mr Prevel’s prospective achievement is all the more impressive considering that he was diagnosed with emphysema 30 years ago – having been a heavy smoker in his youth – and consequently required three major lung surgeries.

He also has Crohn’s disease.

He began training for this particular event in December, but has completed a number of long-distance challenges before, including last year’s Saffery Walk, since implementing a strict fitness regime in 2020.

Speaking before he was due to set off this morning, Mr Prevel said that, other than a slightly twisted ankle, his body was prepared for what was to come.

‘I’m now been doing stuff like this for years, so I’ve got a fair amount of physical and mental strength.’

In terms of his diet, he said that he had been eating foods high in protein that would help his body repair itself and fight off the symptoms of sleep deprivation, including avocados, peanut butter and lentils.

He will also be consuming gels and bananas while out on the course.

In terms of the route itself, Mr Prevel said he was looking forward to tackling the undulating nature of the south coast cliff paths, as that type of terrain was easier on his joints.

‘Doing the cliffs is actually easier than just going along the flat because you’re using more muscles.

‘I’ll be using a pair of Nordic hiking sticks too which help with mobility a lot.’

He was not feeling daunted by what lay ahead of him, and was confident that a mixture of family and friends’ support, adrenaline, stubbornness and fear of letting the walk’s 21 charities down, would get him over the finish line.

‘I’ve got people joining me at various points along the walk and I’ve put together a timetable of where I think I’ll be at certain points so that people will know where to find me,’ he said.

He added that he was glad to be incorporating his challenge as part of the Saffery Walk, and praised how well organised it was each year.

‘It’s like a big family, and it’s good to know that if I have a problem late on there will be people out there to help me.’

• People can still register for the Saffery Rotary Walk until noon today at https://safferyrotarywalk.org.gg/registration. Weather on Saturday is due to be cloudy with sunny intervals, with highs of 17C.