It’s fair to say Eleanor won’t be challenging last year’s winner Aleksey Troshkin, who won in a time of two hours, 18 minutes and 13 seconds, but she is set to complete her 218th marathon – an “astonishing feat” according to race organisers.
The clock is ticking down on this year’s marathon, with Race Director Andrew Thomas busy putting the last touches in place as he prepares to welcome hundreds of long distance runners to Jersey, including Hertfordshire’s Eleanor Draper.
Mr Thomas said: “What an amazing woman and to have successfully completed 217 marathons is an astonishing feat. She is an inspiration to everyone in the race, as are the nine year olds who will take part in the fun run.
“I’ve been involved since day one of the Jersey marathon in 2006 and have been race director for the last seven years.
“I really enjoy it. The best thing has got to be seeing all those people crossing the finish line. They have been challenged to do something special in their lives and now look at me, crossing the finishing line. The look on their faces really says it all.
“The worst thing of the job – there isn’t one. I suppose the one that makes every race director nervous is making sure everyone crosses the line safely. You could say that to any race director in the world and I am always conscious of that.
“I’ve only ever done a half marathon and I keep saying to my wife I will be on the other side of the fence one day and I really do fancy it. I will do it, definitely one day.
“I think people will see this as a start of a journey. They will go travelling and experience overseas marathons and I am really pleased because two major objectives every year is to raise money for charity and to get more people into running for the first time. I think we have done that. We have got more first time runners from Jersey this year than we have ever had, approximately 100.
“Across all categories we have 2,500 runners so that takes some organising.
“We have 300 relay teams, so times that by five, 1,500. The marathon figure is over 500 and the fun run will be around 500 as well. Our aim is to get 1,000 marathon runners, so we are still aiming higher. The course can take 1,000 runners and that’s what we would love to get one day soon.”
Mr Thomas said he will only relax a few days after the marathon is over.
“The day itself will be hectic and then there is all the clearing up to do afterwards, all the loose ends. It is a fantastic job but it is not 9am to 5pm. The volunteers we have are amazing and without the work they do, this could not be put on. There are over 300 of them, if you include the honorary police and first aiders, which is a heck of a number.”
Russian runner Aleksey Troshkin may be favourite for the £2,500 men’s first prize, but there are half a dozen other sub two minutes 20 second athletes who will push him close this year.
“I think Aleksey is desperate to win having been victorious in the last two races as that would make it a hat-trick, but he will be pushed all the way this year and I can see someone doing under two minutes 18 seconds, especially if there is little wind. The women’s race should also be really close. There are elite athletes out there but just as important are those who are doing the marathon just for fun, or to raise a little money for charity.”
Brig-Y-Don children’s charity in Jersey and ‘Seeing is Believing’ are the two charity recipients this year, with proceeds split 50:50.