Their multi-sporting quartet overcame talent emanating from multiple winners Guernsey Fire and Rescue in Thursday night’s 4x1.35km corporate showdown around town, though only just, with 5sec. splitting the two teams.
Sixty teams did battle in the annual event, with each leg starting near the top of Smith Street before diving downhill through Le Truchot, along the High Street and cutting briefly onto the North Esplanade before coming up Le Pollet again and climbing to the finish.
Triathlete Louis Le Cheminant had blitzed the opening leg in 3min. 57sec. – which would remain the only sub-4 of the evening – to give The Rockhouse Men a comfortable lead initially.
However, on the second leg, Island Games 800m medallist Gian-Luca Robilliard sliced through the field with seemingly little effort to post an impressive 4-05 and hand Skipton International Men’s a decent advantage.
Fire and Rescue were never far off, though, and through David Hall on the next lap had claimed pole position.
Aztec sat third when they handed off to anchorman Lucas Ozanne. But the Island basketball player and coach used his turn of pace to gain top spot and deny opposing anchor Kyle Fossey on the finishing charge, capping off a 17-50 clocking for his team.
They were followed closely by the Fire Service in 17-55, with the LBBC Happy Hour Heroes a competitive third in 18-06.
2024 and 2025 winners Upgrade Chiropractic placed fourth this time out, posting 18-34, with Skipton another 20sec. back.
Aztec certainly had the ingredients for success, being led out by former distance star Will Bodkin, followed by Thierry Le Cheminant putting in the third fastest leg overall – 4-09 – before handing off to fellow triathlete Bob Guilbert, and tireless basketballer Ozanne anchoring in 4-13.
‘It’s really good – it’s taken us a bit by surprise to do that,’ Le Cheminant said after helping get the trophy into new hands.
‘It was a good race and everyone did really well.’
Island Games athlete Eloise Scholes had two reasons to celebrate.
She had anchored AFR Advocates, who had been set off by her UK-based brother Alex, to mixed honours and a top-10 overall place in 20-08. Max Jefferies and Sophie Lanoe had run the middle two legs for the team.
In the process, Scholes also posted the top individual women’s leg of 4-29.
They needed her middle-distance speed to overcome their closest mixed rivals, with Peresec International Limited coming in just 4sec. back and Ogier (Guernsey) LLP following closely in 20-26.
Guernsey Wellbeing came in another 17sec. later with a strong anchoring from women’s All Terrain Challenge champion Katie Birch, who ran 4-53.
The multi-sporting team of Coastal Constructions – led out by ATC women’s runner-up Liz Chalmers – were the top all-female quartet.
Hannah Le Tissier, Emma Le Conte and Savannah Goddard completed a quartet that finished in 20-54 with notably consistent splits throughout.
Upgrade Fitness Ladies proved another strong women’s quartet and, with the help of a 4-57 anchoring from successful hybrid athlete, coach and organiser Kate Collenette, came home second in 21-46.
Titan Wealth Ladies finished as the third women’s team with a combined 24-51.
The popular event raises money for Guernsey Athletics’ Island Games team and came at a good time, with the club preparing for an especially costly trip to the Faroes next July.
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