Dorrain completes Granite Man hat-trick while Murphy takes women's honours
MAT DORRIAN has made it a ‘three-peat’ of Granite Man victories.
Although Dorrian had his confidence boosted by victories in the 2015 and 2017 editions of Guernsey’s signature half-Ironman event, yesterday’s triumph did not come easily and involved a touch of luck.
The veteran faced sturdy opposition from a fine Guernsey field plus a couple of visitors from the sister isle.
While Island Games multi-sporter Dan Galpin started superbly to head proceedings on the 2km swim, a duo of Jerseymen soon established themselves on the circa 55-mile bike leg.
The Caesareans led into the final transition and it took a superb show of half-marathon running for Guernsey to seal the one-two.
Dorrian eventually moved to the front, capitalising on a navigational blip from Jersey’s Nick Thorne, and maintained this to the line.
‘Half-Iron’ debutant Galpin followed within two minutes, having lost as much with a minor detour at the quarry, followed by Jersey’s Thorne and James Allen.
Magda Murphy led the women’s race from start to finish, while super-veteran Alan Rowe won the concurrent sprint-distance event.
