Expecting the Faroe Islands 2027 to be the most expensive Games yet, upwards of the £2,000 required per head for Orkney 2025, athletics team manager Tom Druce has confirmed partial funding for those who achieve standards and are selected. Guernsey Athletics are offering £500 for ‘A’ standard picks and half that for ‘B’.
This comes alongside the unveiling of the island’s athletics entry standards, which are generally slightly faster, further and higher than those of Orkney 2025.
‘The Guernsey Athletics board have agreed what might turn out to be a substantial investment in the team for 2027 by pledging to subsidise £500 towards A standard athletes, and £250 towards B standard athletes,’ Druce said.
‘This generous decision has been taken in light of the high cost of this particular Games.
‘In part because of this, but also largely because a number of events in the Island Games programme are trending upwards, some standards are a little higher than for Orkney.
‘I fully expect that we will see a similar number or perhaps even more athletes surpass these standards in any case, though, as we continue to improve in a number of areas.’
Some throws and hurdles standards are significantly higher than their Orkney equivalents. Among the popular events for Guernsey athletes, the men’s half marathon A standard – now 71min. flat, a 1min. 45sec. or 2.4% drop – is perhaps the most significant mover.
Others have seen smaller changes or none, while conversely, certain women’s track and men’s jumping standards have been loosened slightly.
Discus, hammer and men’s steeplechase also feature on the list following their absence from Orkney.
Having to get numbers to the Guernsey Island Games Association comfortably in advance of the event, which runs from 3-9 July 2027, Druce has embraced a fairly early and public circulation of the standards.
‘The main thing was to get the standards out there for potential team members to digest and know whether they can be aiming at a Games place or not,’ he said.
‘My personal objective as a team manager who needs to provide Giga with a team size well in advance of the selection date is to be able to ensure that the best possible team is selected and that everyone who deserves to travel is able to be included.’
Guernsey Athletics have begun taking expressions of interest from potential competitors, prior to the full criteria being released in coming weeks.
They are also planning to begin taking deposits from Games hopefuls later this year.
‘We have some incredible depth in some events – hence the importance of this process and the athletes’ honesty so I can know the possible selection scenarios further down the line,’ Druce added.
‘I also do not want to collect substantial deposits and instalments from athletes who are unlikely to be selected despite having standards.’
