Runners from Trinidad and Tobago to Malaysia sign up for Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon 2017

Runners from as far afield as Trinidad and Tobago and Malaysia have signed up for this year’s Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon.

And for 57-year-old Trinidadian John Lum Young, Jersey will be the 25^th country in which he has run a marathon in the past 12 months alone.

The financial accountant, who is a self-confessed marathon addict, has an ultimate goal of completing 100 marathons in 50 countries before the age of 60.

‘I came to running later in life, and didn’t become serious about it until four months short of my 45^th birthday,’ said Mr Lum Young. 

‘There are times when races are painful and there are times when I think, ‘I’m getting too old for this.’ But the camaraderie among runners is excellent. Also running keeps the weight off.’

Richard Ingle, chief executive officer at Standard Chartered in Jersey, added: ‘It’s fantastic to see the marathon bringing runners from all over the world to Jersey, including John from Trinidad and Tobago and runners from Malaysia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Channel Islands.’

So far entries are up on 2016 for the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon, which is this year supporting Macmillan Jersey and Seeing is Believing (SiB), an initiative launched by Standard Chartered in 2003 to tackle avoidable blindness around the world. This year the funds raised for SiB will go towards a three-year project in Zambia to provide eye care services in four underserved districts in Muchinga Province and Eastern Province.

With six months to go before the event on Sunday 1^st October, there is still time to register and #runforareason. That is the hashtag that runners are using on social media to share their reasons for entering the race. So far, reasons include family connections to the island, running goals and in memory of lost ones.

Runners who want to take part this year, either in the full marathon, the team relay or the fun run can sign up at www.jersey-marathon.com. Runners are encouraged to donate to the event’s official charities during the registration process. After signing up to the race, entrants will receive an email with a link to a personal or team fundraising page which they can share with family, friends and colleagues and keep track of how much they have raised.