And while Cardiff University’s Jack Rees was always going to be a firm overall favourite on his flying visit to the island that included Saturday’s event, the third and penultimate round of the CA Duquemin Cross-Country Series, his ineligibility for the league table meant Mark Jeffreys cashed in on maximum points after a sterling run for second overall.
This leaves the Division One and women’s podium positions still quite open heading into the season finale later this month.
Scholes’ result proved particularly impactful, putting her above reigning series champion Nix Dobson in the tables when the one-race discard is considered.
On the day, she took the head-to-head victory over Dobson, who recently secured an all-time best finish of fifth at the Hampshire Cross-Country Championships as Scholes scraped into the top 10.
‘I was a bit disappointed with my performance in Hampshire to be honest, and I came into this race thinking I’m just going to hang onto her as long as I can,’ Scholes said.
‘But I just felt really good. I’ve been training really well at the moment and really enjoying it.
‘I’m very enthusiastic and motivated, which is a nice place to be.’
The race itself came with a pleasant setting of gentle winter sun and relatively light winds.
However, that did not fully mask the course’s treacherous nature, featuring two big hills per lap, patches of slippery mud, and technical sections with steps or narrow trails.
Rees took the front immediately in the main senior race and produced a rapid first lap.
Free to coast from there, he ticked off his eventual six circuits of one mile apiece in 35min. 40sec.
‘It was great fun,’ said an athlete who hopes to conclude his cross-country season at the BUCS Championships later this month before gearing up for a steeplechase-focused summer.
‘Bordeaux is a lovely course and it’s always good to be back in Guernsey racing.
‘I took out the first lap pretty hard and then just enjoyed the rest of the race, really.’
Jeffreys started making distance on his nearest rivals after two laps and ultimately finished just 1min. down on Rees.
Reflecting on his remarkable runner-up placing, Jeffreys said he ‘never thought it would happen’.
‘It’s the best cross-country result I’ve had – I was very surprised.
‘I didn’t expect to come second or even third. It’s surprising but good and we’ll see what we can do in the last race.
‘I might get on the podium yet – who knows?’
With pre-race series leader Steve Dawes instead competing at the Bermuda Triangle Challenge, and James Priest dropping out on lap four with hamstring tightness, Mikey Ingrouille rounded out the day’s podium in 37-26 and boosted his hopes of a series top three.
Matt Jamieson claimed fourth and top veteran another 7sec. behind.
Both adept cross-country runners, Ben Langlois and George Nichols filled the next two positions with narrowly sub-40min. clockings.
Although U17 Freddie Furley took overall line honours for the ‘best of the rest’ four-lap race, clocking 25-21, behind him came a compelling duel for top woman.
Scholes only began making ground on Dobson deep into the third lap, finishing strongly to post 27-02.
Dobson followed in 27-30, while U20 and current Guernsey Athletics Club senior-level champion Eleanor Jamieson took third in 28-02.
Despite having typically enjoyed her best results on the flat, Scholes found her first time on this demanding course much to her liking.
‘It was very technical for me, but it was so fun.
‘It suited me in terms of it wasn’t crazy muddy, but the hills were good – I feel like I could power up the hills.
‘So that was good. I enjoyed the course – it was fun.’
Following high turnouts and congestion in previous events, the programme had been split into two races – with the lower divisions going earlier, many top juniors leading the charge.
U15 Max Roger took line honours over the three-miler, posting 20-24, with Grace King top girl for the age group in 21-37.
Recent U13 Hampshire champion Paul Friedrich dominated over the two-miler, which he covered in 12-03.
Erin Greenfield took U13 girls’ honours in 14-09.
