James Priest triumphed on his ‘ATC’ debut, while Katie Birch not only set a new women’s record but made the top 10 overall in a 5.5km cliff path race that resembles a shortened Icart Loop with fewer flats and, somehow, more sustained climbs.
Priest set the winning time of 26min. 14sec. on a course that starts at Saints Harbour and ascends the road hill before working in five other significant climbs over a short loop, the last being the notorious Saints Steps.
Andrew Zabiela had pushed him on the first set of steps, heading up from the beach kiosk onto the cliff, and ultimately finished a good second in 27-08.
Mickey Haimes took third in 27-20, while Ben Langlois (27-30) finished strongly to consolidate fourth from Shay Goddard (27-48).
‘Tough course – I’ve never done the ATC before but I’ve run the Icart Loop a few times, so I know a couple of the climbs,’ Priest said.
‘But there were a couple of them which I’d never done before, which was a good experience.’
He added that the most exciting thing about the ATC week for him was ‘just doing races I’ve never done before’.
‘I’ve never run in Herm, and while I’ve run the Icart Loop before, I’ve never raced it, so I'm looking forward to doing those.’
Triathlete and hybrid athlete Birch, who is also the reigning Dogbreaker full cliffs champion, relished the difficulty of the terrain.
She covered the course in 29-56 – breaking a 30min. barrier that has narrowly evaded previous champions Rosie Williams and Nix Dobson – to hold her own against some of the men who are likely to be in Division One.
It also left her in a class of her own among the women, where Savannah Goddard ran 35-33 to edge good friend Liz Chalmers by 8sec.
‘I didn’t realise I was there, but I just felt great, so I just kept going and got in the top 10,’ the winner said.
‘It’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to the rest of the week.’
Of what lies ahead, Birch is most looking forward to the least-flat stages.
‘Just keep me on the cliffs – and Herm. I just look forward to Icart, Herm, and Le Val des Terres will be interesting.
‘Top woman would be great, but I have no expectations other than just to feel good and do as best as I can possibly give.’
