Delight as a new Granite Man date is set in stone

That much-anticipated announcement comes from head organiser Paul de Garis after last weekend’s planned race day became an emotional one for quite the wrong reasons, with thick and largely unexpected fog depriving nearly 120 competitors of their stint at Guernsey’s own half Ironman.

Entrants had already assembled en masse at Pembroke when the unshakeable haze led organisers to call off the event over safety concerns, creating a cloudy picture over whether there would be a Granite Man this year.

But after announcing a tentative contingency plan to competitors, organisers have now been able to set that date in stone.

‘We have finally got the call from the Commons Council and we have put all the pieces of the jigsaw in place,’ a delighted de Garis said.

‘We are all very pleased – and that’s the reaction we’ve got on social media.’

It has been a hard couple days’ planning for de Garis, who has had to cancel a personal holiday that weekend, but the new date has both a suitable tide and avoids significant clashes with high-profile sporting events locally.

There will, of course, be lingering disappointment for those who travelled over initially, including women’s favourite Megan Chapple, while the new date conflicts with Jersey’s Super League Triathlon weekend.

‘We may not have the field we had on the fifth,’ de Garis admitted. ‘People like Megan and Claire [Williams] were due to travel back and the field will be depleted.

‘People are also going across for the Super League in Jersey, so we may not have the field we wanted, but there will be racing on the day and it’s an opportunity for people who want to achieve.’

The prospect of an unpredictable and very open race remains, with champion Mat Dorrian’s absence leaving several strong but well-matched contenders eyeing the Granite Man crown.