Guernsey Marathon

Guernsey marathon is a well-organized small (Fewer than 200 finishers) event. If you like all the amenities of large marathons, you may be disappointed. I am happier without crowds. The race starts in St. Peter Port which means you have to climb a significant hill for the first half mile. I opted to walk this hill, as did many others! The rest of the course is fairly flat with a few rollers. The scenery is spectacular and I loved looking around as I ran along the country lanes. You have to run in the road along the coast for a significant portion, and this was problematic as there are no cones separating runners from traffic. Guernsey drivers are generally extremely patient and considerate, but I did worry a bit given the volume of traffic (it was a sunny day so perhaps more people were out than usual) and the fact that we were running on the pavement when there was one but would then have to step into the road when it disappeared. There were also many cyclists in addition to cars, so it was very congested. I actually would have preferred a quieter inland route that took us away from traffic. I certainly could have skipped the second half of the course in the industrial north. It was noisy, dirty, and drivers tended to drive much faster which was scary when we had to run in the road. Couldn't wait to be done with that section. Feed stations were every 5k and they provided bottled water, lucozade, jelly babies, and chocolate. I brought my own gels and supplemental water. Marshalls were friendly and helpful, letting us know where toilets were etc. I would recommend Guernsey if you're not expecting huge crowds (support was sparse but good) and other large marathon hoopla. Note that there is a 6 hour time limit.