Quality and quantity in sell-out entry for Butterfield Half Marathon

Guernsey’s flagship 13.1-miler has attracted the full complement of 700 entries before the deadline, including a mix of domestic and visiting talent that will make the top positions difficult to predict.

This includes both of the UK-based Galpin brothers visiting their former home island.

Dan Galpin is the fastest man on paper with his outstanding 69min. 13sec. personal best but has missed training time this summer due to injury, while younger brother Sammy represented Guernsey in the Island Games ‘half’ last July.

The home challengers include both Games representative James Priest and the only local athlete who has taken his scalp this summer, the formerly London-based Rick Weston.

The field also includes a few unknown quantities like Michael Batiste, Ethan Woodhead and Peter Amy.

Batiste has shown fine form in training, Woodhead has performed excellently over the full marathon and more recently triathlon events, and Amy continues to defy expectations in his fight against cancer.

Amy had a massive 9.5-hour surgery in February and, not for the first time, was told he would probably never run again.

A remarkable comeback has followed. Although the veteran feels he has been changed by his cancer battle, he said in a heartfelt social media post: ‘There will also be some of the old me standing on that start line.

‘The nervous bundle of pent-up energy, just waiting for the start so I can come out all guns blazing.

‘The one that will run as fast and as hard as I can, the one that will give it absolutely everything I’ve got and we will see just where that gets me, because if in doubt run flat out.’

Jersey Spartans athletes Stuart Frazier and Rahul Kini are also expected to be up near the front.

Overall, Guernsey Athletics endurance director Chris Gillman expects plenty of potential sub-80min. runners.

‘There are a lot of people targeting 75 to 80min., so there are too many to name individually, but if they all toe the line then the depth of field should be really good,’ he said.

An in-form Nat Whitty provides an exciting prospect in the women’s race.

Whitty has come off a 2023 season scuppered by injury to rekindle her winning ways over distances ranging from the mile to the 10km and now turns her attention back to the half marathon, where her current best is 81-30 from Wilmslow in March last year.

Her threat of a particularly quick time comes alongside the steadily impressive Ulrike Maisch’s presence.

Last year, the veteran-45 athlete had banked a time of 82-37 – her fastest since moving over from Germany – to earn home Games selection before being the top Guernsey woman there and also winning a fifth Butterfield Half title.

Abbie Swain and Vanessa King have both shown good form this year and look to be among the leading locals.

Granite 100 and Guernsey Marathon winner Lindsay Sword, Caroline Barby and Jersey’s Chantelle Frazier are also notable entries.

Active 8 inclusion officer Barby has been helping Guernsey Athletics overcome barriers and so the club have welcomed the presence of two wheelchair athletes.

Poole AC’s Mark Sinclair will be competing on his handbike against Guernsey’s own Aindre Reece-Sheerin, who will be in his racing wheelchair.

Gillman hopes to continue pushing and get more wheelchairs in future editions.

‘We’re really keen to get more wheelchair entries in future, but unfortunately we’ve been scuppered by the expense of travel costs for off-island athletes, so we’re actively working to address that.’

The race sets out from L’Eree as usual and follows the coast into Town, but this time the finish line will be on the east arm of St Julian’s Pier.

Forecasts indicate only mild winds, and in a generally favourable direction. Racing starts at 9am.