Guernsey Church to Church Walk A brief history

Transcription

1 A challenge in the local newspaper in September 1936 to walk between the Parish Churches of Guernsey in less than 3 hours 20 minutes was made by Mr Eve D Le Page who claimed to have done it over a course from Town to St Martins, the Forest, St Peters, Upper Parishes and the Lower Parishes. This led to the first walking race for what is now known as the Church to Church and was organised by the Guernsey Wanderers Sports and Social Club, using the same route as taken today, with the only difference being the start and finish point which until 1950 was at the White Rock, both having the same distance of 19.4 miles. As support for the walk grew it was discovered that in 1837 a walk had been undertaken on similar lines by two men, Martel and Robert, who had walked around 17 miles between the Churches, with the report in the Star newspaper even giving the time taken for each Church. An early feature of the walk was the touching of each Church, nowadays walker s usually only touch the statue at St Martins Church gates. The first ten years of the walk until 1946 the event was held on only five occasions as it was interrupted by the Occupation, with a shortened version taking place in 1945 for the same 1945 Guernsey Walking Race Victory Cup that is raced for today, replacing the lost Joybell Trophy. The current ladies trophy, the Highway Sports Circle Star Perpetual Trophy goes back even further to Organisation of the walk was passed over to the Guernsey (Island) Amateur Athletic Club in 1946 and was indeed their first promoted event. The walk continued into the mid 50`s until it stuttered in 1956 when the walk didn't take place, but from 1957 until the present day it has remained in the Guernsey calendar, organised since 1966 by the Sarnia Walking Club. In recent years the walk has been sponsored by British European enabling all finishers to receive a medal for finishing as a lasting memento to the traditional walk challenge. Bisson Robilliard Taylor in 1936 walk 1936: B J Bisson (16 years old) beats Jerseyman H G Taylor by only yards in 3 hours 18 minutes. First woman home in 17 th position of the 43 starters is Miss E Hawkins in 3 hours 50 minutes. Miss E Hawkins (6) WC Kitts (4) 3 rd lady 1937: H G Taylor wins in new record time of 3 hours 17 minutes 45 seconds. Miss G Parsons in 12 th is first woman in new best of First Guernseyman Otto Le Gallez is second nearly 7 minutes behind Taylor. 1938: Stan Smith wins his first of four consecutive walks held during the next eight years in this event. Miss Parsons reduces the woman s best to to win the Highway Sports Circle Star Perpetual Trophy as won by the leading Channel Island lady to the present day. Le Gallez finishes in second place again, thirty seconds down. Previous winner Taylor is third.

2 1940: Stan Smith wins in 3 hours on a course 200 yards shorter than usual. 1945: The first Church walk held after the Occupation for the Guernsey Walking Race Victory Cup as used at present. Smith wins on a course on the lines of the Church walk previously held but on this occasion around 3 miles shorter than usual. 1946: Smith wins again in in first walk organised by the Guernsey (Island) Amateur Athletic Club. 1947: John A Broughton wins in , beating Champion Smith by half a minute. Gladys Leeder is the first woman home. 1948: With the women now given a good twenty minutes plus start, walk stalwart Cyril J Robin takes his only victory in but only just catching the fastest woman Gladys Leeder. 1949: Broughton records new best time of winning clearly from last year s winner Robin who walks the course in 3 hours 30 minutes : Terry Le Cheminant scores the first of his two consecutive Church Walk victories beating Frank Allen by five minutes in 1950 and improving his time a year later to win by one and a half minutes from F Le Cocq in Future winner John Searson finishes third. Mrs J H Robert takes the women s honours from J Le Gallez and Gladys Leeder. Gladys is Mrs Robert s sister : John E Searson becomes another double winner of the walk defeating Nigel Archer by almost four minutes in 1952 and by six minutes the following year to record F Le Cocq makes his last top three appearance in 1952, never winning but as high as second. A consistent Gladys Leeder breaks 3 hours 42 for both walks. 1954: John Searson wins the Victory Cup for the third time but despite finishing in is well beaten by English visitor John Hubball who becomes the first man to break three hours, coming home in Gladys Leeder also sets a new best for the women of : Young Nigel Archer improves his previous best position to take an easy win in 1955 but is pushed in 1957 by F Allen, winning by only ten seconds in Possibly denied a hat trick when the walk never got under way in : Two wins for Eric Waldron who went on to complete the walk 21 times. For each victory he beat the defending Champion. In 1959 finishing fifteen seconds ahead of Archer in and in 1960 getting the better of Richer in to : Vic T Richer separated Waldron s two wins when easily beating him in 1959 by seven minutes recording 3 hours 25 minutes. Previous winner Archer finished a close third : Guernsey walkers were in for a surprise as Jersey dominated the walk with Ron B Robinson (originally from Yorkshire) winning three years in a row with fellow Islander Denis Le Marinel trailing him home in second each time. In 1963 they both recorded their best times, 3 hours for Robinson just 20 seconds up on Le Marinel. 1964: Le Marinel again finished in second spot, this time to the vastly improved Guernsey walker Len Duquemin. The margin of victory was a mere 17 seconds as Len crossed the line in

3 1965: The first Island walkers to break 3 hours! Defending Champion Duquemin recording , but well behind John Moullin s : Guernsey now had a striving walking club; Sarnia Walking Club; five of them getting under 3 hours Duquemin led the way home smashing the previous best time to finish in ,almost twelve minutes clear of London Vidarian Brian Keegan. Young Dave Chalker slipped under three hours ( ), young John Brouard only just outside in , with defending Champion Moullin and Len Bretel making up the quintet. 1967: Any one of six walkers could have won this walk with Len Bretel the best on the day winning in a deserved from John Brouard and Dave Dorey. 1968: British Olympian Vincent Paul Nihill used this walk in preparation for the Mexico Olympic Games, walking a record time of , affected by the fumes of the many cars on the course was not as fast as he had expected. On the shortlist for Mexico, Guernsey's Len Duquemin, now living and racing in England, made an appearance but was unexpectedly pushed back into third place by Dave Dorey who finished in : Dave Dorey, the walker who was to finish second in more walks than anyone else finished slightly down on his previous best behind John Moullin who walked close to the Guernsey record in : Rob Waterman, Guernsey s 1970 Commonwealth Games coach earlier in the year defeats Games walker Dorey to win his only Church Walk. 1971: Len Duquemin, 6 th in the previous years Commonwealth Games visits Guernsey to triumph over Dave Dorey winning in This time, close to his Island record, is recorded at almost 41 years old. 1972: Andy Le Heron moves on to number 2 in the all time list with a fast , breaking the Island best in the process. Dave Dorey finishes four minutes down. 1973: Ann O Connor wins the ladies walk for the third of her five times. Welsh International walker Dave Rosser wins to move to second fastest ever walker, under two minutes behind the best ever held by Paul Nihill. John Moullin in second gets close to his best ever time, whilst in third Rob waterman walks a personal best time of : Dave Dorey is victorious for the first time in , with the win somewhat dampened with a photograph in the Guernsey Press showing him marginally off the ground. The photo nowadays would hardly warrant a second look. The club is split; some want him stripped of the win. Dave is eventually given the win over Andy Le Heron. Defending Champion Rosser is pushed back into 5 th place. 1975: Dave Dorey (16) retains his title beating SWC Champion Mick Elliott (22). Together at half way Dave Dorey pulls away from Mick Elliott to win by over seven minutes in a time of

4 1976: The first two from the year before are on the sidelines, leaving Michael Perrio to emerge victorious from 1967 winner Len Bretel. Perrio wins in to Bretels Jayne Wright (now Sarnia WC Race Secretary) wins the first of her two Church titles. 1977: First Church walk for 18-year-old Robert Elliott beating Dave Dorey by ten seconds in a sprint finish after losing a three to four minute advantage at 15 miles. Jayne Wright, (who later walked as Jayne Le Noury) retains women s crown for a Church double. 1978: Defending Champion Elliott retires whist still in the lead a few miles from the finish leaving Dorey and Perrio to fight out the honours. Together for most of the sea front Perrio pulls away to win in Dorey is only 17 seconds behind. Visitor Geoff Robinson in takes third. Ann O Connor wins for the last time. 1979: Perrio retains the title after doing very little walking but relying on his running fitness to pull back Elliott s lead to win by two and a quarter minutes in a personal best time of This is his third win in four and will be aiming for three in a row next year. Mick Perrio wins for third time. women s title from Paula Harrison by 9 seconds. 1981: Rob Elliott moves to number one in the all time list when breaking the record of Nihill. The time of takes seventeen seconds off the best and leaves Dave Dorey in second place twelve minutes behind. 1982: The largest field in the history of the walk takes part, over 130 walkers. Rob Elliott, a week before setting out to the Commonwealth Games in Australia, smashes his record time set last year and comes home twenty two minutes clear of any other walker. Going through 5 miles in 39 minutes, 10 miles around 78 / 79 minutes and the 15 miles in under two hours he crosses the line in , catching many spectators off guard. Pam Marsh (Rondel) retains her women s title. 1983: Colin Bradley wins in after passing Elliott at 13 miles. An out of sorts Elliott calls it a day and retires shortly afterwards. Sean Bonner takes the local Victory Cup in a wellearned , a minute ahead of Dorey the second local walker. Sixteen-year-old Jenny Tostevin shows a glimpse of her future ability with a 3.40 clocking in first place in the women s walk : Jenny Tostevin smashes thirty-year-old women s record with a time of , only a minute slower the following year as Rob Elliott and Jenny do the double for 84/ : Rob Elliott decides against his usual fast start and walks alongside Perrio for eight miles before easing ahead to win by thirteen minutes. He finishes in a new personal best time of Karen O`Sullivan takes the Jenny Tostevin crossing the line.

5 1986: Battle of the Elliott brothers with Mark closing down Robs lead with less than 200 yards to go and winning by ten seconds in the second fastest ever time by a Guernseyman; a fast Future wife Jenny Tostevin once again takes the women s title. Mark Elliott in the finishing straight with Rob in background. Moments after the finish the Elliott brothers 1987: The walk receives sponsorship from Guernsey Airlines. Visitors take the first four places with Welsh walker Steve Johnson winning by a minute in from York man Sean Martindale. Kevin Le Noury takes the Victory Cup as both the Elliott s retire from the race. The first two home move to number two and three on the all time list. Jenny Elliott, now married to Mark, wins for the fifth year in a row : Edmund Shillabeer from Plymouth, a long distance walker wins twice. An easy win by eleven minutes in 1988 is followed by his fastest performance in this event ( ) when defeating local walker Carl Thomson ( ). Colin Bradley is a close third also under Thomson is now the second fastest Guernsey walker over the course. Rose Drückes wins the first of her many Church titles in : Second man home Carl Thomson is again denied the title by a visitor as Ilford walker Stuart Phillips comes home over a minute clear in Walkers from overseas take the next six places. Jenny Elliott beats Rose Drückes by a short margin for the women s title. 1991: Top British International walker Mark Easton of the Surrey Walking Club walks a lonely race as he smashes the record by seven minutes to win in The second man home, Shillabeer finds himself eighteen minutes behind even though clocking an excellent : Mark Easton and the Isle of Man walker Steve Partington dominate. Together for some of the walk Easton soon pulls away to eclipse his record and finish in Partingtons puts him in the record books at all time number : Pat Murphy from Castleisland, Eire, an international walker, dominates the walk. Murphy first records for third on the all time list to win easily, followed by , beating Colin Bradley into second place in both walks. Jill Green (London Vidarians) in the 1994 walk comes within five minutes of the women s best with a fast winning from Guernsey s Rose Drückes who records Mick Le Sauvage and Roy Le Marquand complete the walk for the 33 rd time. 1995: Ryston Runner Cath Reader smashes the women s best to come home in With a thirty-minute start even Murphy cannot catch her. Rob Elliott finishes in ; his best for years to still get only within ten minutes of the Irishman Pat Murphy.

6 1996: Rob Elliott rolls back the years for another win, finishing quicker than in his first walk in Jeanette Bleach (Steyning) beats Rose Drückes by almost six minutes. took the honours in the women s walk for the third time. 2000: Carl Thomson and Rob Elliott kept the interest in the outcome of this walk right until the line, where giving everything he had Elliott crashed to the ground exhausted with only twenty yards remaining and level with his rival who secured the win in Rob Elliott in 1996 and Rose Drückes during an earlier walk. 1997: Colin Bradley wins for the first time since 1983 from Rob Elliott by a clear six minutes. Jill Green from the Isle of Wight wins the women s race in : Forty one year old Plymouth City Walker athlete Chris Maddocks, multi Olympian and British International walker for the past twenty years, aware of the course record and in preparation for the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games 20 kilometres walk to be held shortly afterwards put up a fantastic display to remove two minutes from the previous best. Between three and thirteen miles he went under 72 minutes for the 10 miles and from mile two to seventeen a swift 1 hour (15 miles) to come home in Edmund Shillabeer, on a day trip from England with Maddocks, claimed second place in just over three hours. 1999: Pat Murphy finished first for the fourth time in a tactical and slow race on a stiflingly hot day. It was the slowest winning time since 1976, but his was enough to beat Dave Ratcliffe and Colin Bradley. Jill Green Carl Thomson set the 2 nd fastest time ever by a Guernseyman in Church walk in 1989 is seen here a few miles from home in the 2000 event. 2001: Coventry Godiva walker Dave Ratcliffe walks well under three hours to easily defeat Rob Elliott. Surprising himself he strides home in Cath Duhig (Reader) who set the record six years ago walks to another victory in ahead of Jill Green. Mick Le Sauvage finishes the walk for the 40 th time since Mick Le Sauvage (63) pictured during one of his many Church walks. Kevin Le Noury (92) 26 finishes to 2001

7 2002: Visiting walkers bolster the local field with Peter Ryan slipping under 3 hours for victory. Rose Drückes is the first lady home. 2003: Mark Easton (Surrey Walking Club) walks to an easy victory for his third win in 2 hours 33 minutes leading home second man Neil Bates from Isle of Man. Leading Guernsey walker, back in tenth place is John Dedman.Once again Rose Drückes is first lady home. 2004: Masters walker Ed Shillabeer wins for the third time in just under 3 hours 20 minutes after starting 2 mins 40 seconds late. He finishes 4 minutes clear of Kevin Marshall. John Dedman retains the Victory Cup as first Guernsey walker to finish. Rose Drückes is the first lady to finish. John Dedman (below left), Shillabeer (below right), Easton (top) 2005: Ed Shillabeer wins for the 4th time, Rose Drückes for the 9 th time both in new official age best times. Terry Bates is first Guernsey man home ahead of young Jason Le Noury.

8 Guernsey Church to Church 19.4 miles walk Sunday September 3 rd 2006 The trio of British International walkers Andy Penn (Nuneaton Harriers), Steve Hollier (Wolverhampton & Bilston) and Nick Ball (Steyning AC) put on three fast performances in Guernsey s annual Church to Church 19.4 miles walk. Recent Commonwealth Games competitor Andy Penn emerged victorious, although it was not until late in the race when he could be confident of winning. Eighteen year old Nick Ball, in his first walk longer than 20 kilometres, had forged himself almost a minutes lead at 15 miles in a fast , until the pace told, as within a mile the youngster almost ground to a halt going up the climb to the 16 mile point, enabling Penn to stride past and move into the lead. Ball, to his credit, kept going until the inevitable drop back to third place as Steve Hollier, almost two minutes behind Ball at 15 miles, went into second around 2 miles later. With an unfaltering Penn striding to victory, second place was still in doubt as Hollier slowed and Ball showed small signs of recovery. The headwind along the sea front for the final two miles did little to help the walkers. A few backwards glances towards the end confirmed to Hollier that second was safe as he passed the finish line four and a half minutes down on race winner Penn s Ball crossed the line a minute after Hollier in , a fast time for someone so young on a far from easy course. Within minutes of finishing Penn was talking to the local Press describing the course as nasty (re the hills), but beautiful at the same time. The walk was a good advert for walking as any of these walkers were capable of winning, keeping even those with walking knowledge unable to predict a winner at the start. It was the first time that three walkers had finished in under in the same Church race, with Penn adding his name to the list of winners, as has his coach Chris Maddocks who holds the Record at Penn moved into 5 th place on the All Time list behind Maddocks, Mark Easton (Surrey WC) , local Rob Elliott and Pat Murphy (Castleisland RWC). Hollier and Ball move into 7 th and 8 th respectively. The first 5 miles of the walk, up some hard hills had the trio through in Trevor Jones (Hillingdon AC) was next through, some way down. The leading trio were still together to eight miles before Ball split the pack to pass 10 miles in 80.56, 15 seconds up on Penn and 50 seconds up on Hollier. What may look like uneven splits is down to the undulations of the course. Ball did not seem too happy in front at this point with a few backward glances to see where the opposition were.

9 A few miles later he was into unknown territory distance wise, with things going well until 16 miles before his slowing. Walking an isolated race in fourth was Trevor Jones who crossed the line in just under 3 hours. Defending Champion Ed Shillabeer, despite walking quicker than last year, was down in 5 th place creating a new M/65 course best of First Guernsey walker home was Terry Bates, setting himself a new personal best time and Guernsey Age Best as he finished just two seconds down on visitor Kevin Marshall. The Le Noury brothers Jason and Stuart took second and third places in the Guernsey category, both finishing remarkably close to their 2005 performances. In tenth place Ron Powell walked his usual solid Church Walk to break the M/70 best held by Eric Horwill. Rose Drückes retained the Women s title and in doing so equalled the biggest number of finishes by a woman. Drückes has now completed the event 19 times, as did Winona Robert in the period from 1936 to Sarnia Walking Club Race Secretary Jayne Le Noury, in her first Church Walk for some time and a previous winner, walked well to finish only three minutes down on the winner and well ahead of the third woman Mary Collins. Sarnia Walking Club would like to thank all those who helped make the event another success, especially to the visiting walkers that helped keep walking on the Guernsey map. Mick Le Sauvage 45 finishes