Team medal prospects look strong on paper

And the fact that four previous champions are among them – Lee Merrien, Steve Dawes, Sarah Roe (nee Mercier) and Louise Perrio – testifies to the island’s great capability at this level.

But past achievements will be little more than history on Saturday as hundreds of the county’s top club athletes compete over treacherous terrain at Southampton’s Fairthorne Manor.

Rather it is shaping up to be a real tussle for the honour of being top local finisher, with both the men’s and women’s teams boasting several up-and-coming athletes who will likely challenge and in some cases overtake those previous high-achievers.

Endurance stalwart Paul Ingrouille, who is part of the team management structure, believes firmly it will be a case of ‘strength in depth’.

‘There are at least three athletes in each gender that could quite easily be our first across the line,’ he said.

The men rarely fail to secure a team medal and will be represented by 25 athletes on this occasion, but perhaps the biggest strides are evident the women’s team.

Last year Guernsey had a bare-bones senior women’s squad of four, but this time the tally is up to 14.

After several years as the island’s clear No. 1, Roe faces rivalry from last year’s top counter Megan Chapple and converted former middle-distance star Nat Whitty. Island champion Nix Petit and the improving Emma Etheredge add further depth.

In the men’s event, Dawes’ return to regular racing is a big boon for the senior team and alongside Merrien he forms a daunting spearhead for the concurrent veteran competition.

Guernsey champion James Priest goes shoulder-to-shoulder with a host of UK-based talent, including the Boxing Day Run top two of Richard Bartram and Alex Rowe.

Ingrouille believes they could have five women in the top 15 and at least that in the men’s top 25, which he summed up in two words by saying: ‘That’s strong.’

A busy junior contingent of 24 athletes completes the squad, which includes several medal prospects at both team and individual level.

‘I cannot remember us taking more than 60 before,’ Ingrouille added.

‘The senior men and women are both very large squads and it’s great to see that we have got several people who are competing at this level for the first time, like Sarah Eagles, Susie Armstrong and Isaac Powers.

‘Equally, we have some of our top runners from previous years.

‘I am also quite heartened that we have got a very good young group of U13s competing and we are hoping that they, along with the U15s and a strong squad of U20s, will give a good feed-through of athletes.’