Yet although Scottish athlete Callum Tharme is on paper the favourite for Good Friday’s 5km opener and a prime contender for the wider four-day festival, he will not be without pressure in a field brimming with both quality and quantity – featuring 392 senior entrants.
As another athlete who shone in 2024 and returns after skipping a year, Louise Small looks like the one to beat among the women, ahead of even Olympian Steph Twell.
Firstly, Guernsey Athletics endurance director Chris Gillman is pleased to see the senior entries up 51 from last year’s impressive total.
‘We’ve got a big uplift,’ he said while highlighting the sign-up of 278 for the 5km alone.
‘That’s a selection of guys from the UK and local runners, which is great.
‘We’ve got a good travelling contingent.
‘It’s quite an exciting mix of new people and familiar faces.’
At the front, Cambuslang Harriers’ Tharme is fresh from an outstanding 5km personal best of 14min. 4sec.
This is 23sec. under the course record that he set on his Easter debut two years ago.
‘It seems he’s in pretty good shape,’ Gillman said with some understatement.
Jersey U20s Luke Holmes and Bradley Andrews-Callec further strengthen the visiting field.
Especially with several of the usual Sarnian stars injured or outside best form, recent Eastleigh 10km winner Jack Rees appears the main challenger to such visitors.
Several other Sarnians are also in the mix, including middle-distance runners stepping up for the 5km, of which Gillman added: ‘We’ve got a bunch of guys that are in good form and I think will be challenging.’
Among the women, Small is coming off a significant half-marathon PB of 70-19 from Barcelona.
‘That’s seriously impressive,’ Gillman said.
‘It looks like she has been ticking over, doing some parkruns, but clearly Barcelona is the standout.’
Tharme’s girlfriend Zoe Pflug debuts and brings a 5km best of 16-52, which makes her a worthy
rival to Guernsey’s in-form Eloise Scholes.
‘I think that’s going to be really good for the likes of Eloise, who’s going to be going in there for 17min.,’ the endurance director added.
Twell is the reigning champion and, even if not in top form, will provide inspiration and competition for the other top Sarnians.
Gillman has also highlighted the possibility of other unknown quantities lurking within the huge entry.
Popular YouTuber and podcaster Harry Morgan of Jog On is making his return, having started the 2024 festival before suffering injury at parkrun on the Saturday.
Action starts with Friday’s L’Eree to Vazon 5km set to feature a favourable wind direction.
Racing then heads off road, with Saturday’s Keith Falla Memorial Full Course and the next morning’s Delancey Park relays.
The festival concludes with Monday’s Grandes Rocques to North Side 10km.
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