The World's Most Southerly Marathon

By Alison Inglis 
April 2005

In October 2004 the Standard Chartered Bank in conjunction with the Stanley Leisure Centre and the Stanley Running Club made a startling announcement, addressed to "all long distance runners and anyone wanting to get fit". In March 2005 a marathon was to be held in Stanley. This would be a first for the Falkland Islands, and would be the world's most southerly marathon.

The Standard Chartered Bank, through their 'The Greatest Race on Earth' competition, sponsor five marathons in five cities: Nairobi, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong and - since December 2004 - Dubai. Entrants are encouraged to compete in all five marathons to win large cash prizes.

The Stanley Marathon was to be a completely different challenge - the problems of heat, humidity and (in the case of Nairobi - the world's highest marathon course) altitude, would be replaced by the threat of autumn weather with low temperatures, strong winds and driving rain all on an uphill course with spectacular views across Stanley Harbour to Wireless Ridge, Mount Longdon, Two Sisters, Mount Kent, Tumbledown and, in the other direction, the long golden sands of Surf Bay.

Prospective runners were informed in October 2004 that, "This early advice is to give prospective runners a chance to train over the coming months. The 26 mile route will be on tarmac, properly marshalled and with watering stations along the way. Prizes yet to be decided will be awarded and proper medals or certificates as can be arranged given to all runners. So that we can get an idea of local interest we would be pleased to hear from anyone who would seriously consider participating."

A further announcement was made by the 'Leisure Centre Marathon Club', asking the general public, "Have you always wanted to do a marathon but don't know where to start? Want to make a positive effort to change your sedentary lifestyle? Want to lose some weight and feel better but need some motivation? Are you a runner who needs some guidance on how to prepare for a marathon? Does any of this sound like you? Then maybe the Standard Chartered Bank 2005 Marathon is for you and we are here to help.

The Stanley Leisure Centre is pleased to announce the formation of its first ever Marathon Club. Our aim is not to run and organise marathons but to offer guidance and support to anyone who simply wants to give it a go…. All of the programmes we offer are available on the web, but we offer that additional extra, a team to help you. We can arrange training partners, offer fitness testing to monitor progress, nutrition advice and everything else you need to prepare for your first long distance race.

Even if you never compete in a marathon or a long distance race the change in lifestyle that you adopt could be enough to make you feel 100% better, fitter and lose some of those excess pounds that have built up over the years. International research has clearly proven that regular exercise can and does increase your life span and generally make you feel better about yourself."

Linking up with respected marathon runner and coach Hal Higdon, the Leisure Centre put together an eighteen week training programme. This was preceded by a six week programme designed to take novice runners up to running five kilometres - the starting distance in the marathon training programme. Cheery weekly bulletins were emailed out to interested individuals by Steve Dent, the Leisure Centre Manager, each time ending with the exhortation "See you on the road".

As March 2005 drew nearer, the numbers of runners on the streets around Stanley grew, and the running machine at the Leisure Centre was perpetually booked-up. One of the most confident figures to be seen out running was Nick Hutton, manager of the Stanley branch of Standard Chartered Bank, and one of the few local residents who had previously completed a full marathon.

The annual Cape Pembroke Half-Marathon was held at the end of February 2005. This is a challenging course which is largely cross-country. Inspired by their success in this event, several local runners decided to put their names forward for the marathon, either as an individual entrant or as part of a team of four. The team event involved three members running 6.25 miles each, and the fourth competitor running the final leg of 7.25 miles.

M-Day arrived on Sunday 20th March. The day was overcast, cool but relatively calm. The rain held off, and although the wind started to rise half-way through the event, the much-feared gale force winds did not make an appearance. Those relay runners who had chosen legs 2 and 4, and had expected to be running into the prevailing west wind, were delighted to find that on the day the wind had swung round to the north-east.

The course started at the Standard Chartered Bank, and took runners west along Ross Road and then onto Ross Road West until they reached the Beaver Hanger, at which point they turned into Capricorn Road and then onto Ian Campbell Drive before running east along Jeremy Moore Avenue, turning back onto Ross Road West at the corner of Jhelum and Sulivan Houses, opposite the wreck of the Jhelum. The race continued east along Ross Road and Ross Road East before climbing the first hill at Rowlands Rise, then turning left onto Airport Road to continue running east towards Surf Bay.

The first relay handover point was close to Surf Bay. The course continued uphill to the Airport, round the Airport carpark, and back down Airport Road, heading west all the way up the hill to the Sappers Hill Gate, and the second relay handover point. Runners continued from the Sappers Hill Gate on to the Sappers Hill cattlegrid and the end of the tarmac, reversing their steps all the way back past Sappers Hill Gate heading west again towards the Airport.

The third and final relay handover point was again close to Surf Bay. The last stage required runners to climb the short hill up to the Airport once more, before going round the Airport carpark, and back down Airport Road, this time running only as far as Rowlands Rise where they turned right down the hill onto Ross Road East. The course took them all the way along Ross Road East, Ross Road and Ross Road West, cruelly passing the start/finish line in the carpark to the side of the Standard Chartered Bank. Turning once more at the Beaver Hanger and returning along Capricorn Road, Ian Campbell Drive and Jeremy Moore Avenue, the exhausted runners put on a burst of speed as they entered the carpark and reached the finish line.

In February 2005 the organisers were considering cancelling the marathon due to an apparent lack of interest. However, on the day, the event attracted a total of ninety-two runners. Thirty-one men and nine women attempted the whole course, with thirteen teams entering the relay event. There was a large contingent of military runners from the British Forces Tri-service base at Mount Pleasant, with the local community represented by six men, six women (including two speed-walkers) and six teams.

Six entrants travelled from overseas to compete, including the eventual winner, Hugh Marsden of Exmouth, who led from the start and set the first course record of 3 hours, 7 minutes and 30 seconds. A popular winner, Hugh previously lived in the Falkland Islands for some years, and has previously represented the Falklands in the biannual International Islands Games. This win followed his victory in the 2005 Cape Pembroke Half Marathon.

Hugh was followed over the finish line by military runners William Bundy, in a time of 3 hours, 11 minutes and 46 seconds, and Resham Shrees, who finished in 3 hours, 19 minutes and 53 seconds. The prize for the first Falkland Islands-born runner, presented by Councillor Mike Summers, was awarded to Tom Blake. The women's event was dominated by military runners, Kelly Angus (who also won the women's event in the Cape Pembroke Half Marathon) taking first prize in a time of 3 hours 34 minutes and 49 seconds. She was followed by Sarah Dance in 4 hours 21 minutes and 10 seconds and Trudy Little in 4 hours 63 minutes and 25 seconds.

Local pride was restored by the relay event, which was won by a team representing Stanley Football Club, in an excellent time of 3 hours 2 minutes and 20 seconds, making them the first over the finish line. Drinks that evening were on Luke Clarke, Claudio Ross, Michael Moyce and Doug Clark. Second and third placings went to Logistic Support from Mount Pleasant in 3 hours 15 minutes and 8 seconds, and the Roulement Infantry Company's team, 'the Lancashire Lads', in 3 hours 16 minutes and 54 seconds.

Another local team comprising Corina Goss, Alison Inglis, Shona Strange and Ros Cheek competed to raise money for local charity Stanley Kids Zone, a new community nursery project, while Andrew Newman bravely ran the whole marathon also on behalf of Stanley Kids Zone.

The overseas entrants also include Stuart Horsewood, manager of Standard Chartered Bank in Iraq, for whom this was his sixth marathon in as many months. To date, Mr Horsewood has raised around US $65,000 for charity. He plans to run one more marathon in his fundraising quest, although as he modestly said, seven marathons in seven months didn't quite match polar explorer Sir Ranulf Fiennes achievement when he ran from Mount Pleasant to Stanley in 2003 as part of his self-imposed 'seven marathons on seven continents in seven days' challenge to celebrate his recovery from heart surgery.

Funds raised through entry fees, sponsorship and other donations will benefit 'Seeing is Believing', Standard Chartered Bank's programme which aims to restore the sight of one million people. In partnership with Sight Savers International and Vision 2020 - the international body for the elimination of avoidable blindness - the bank has identified 12 flagship projects in Asia and Africa. Funds collected will go towards cataract operations, training of eye care doctors, building of training facilities and vision centres.

Standard Chartered Bank Manager Nick Hutton, who himself completed his course accompanied by his brother who flew into the Islands for the event, said he was delighted with the way the marathon had gone, saying, "In terms of numbers, there were more than I had expected. To have 92 people participate was excellent and a real foundation on which hopefully we can build next year and in subsequent years."

On a personal note, initially challenged by the prospect of completing the five kilometre training programme on the running machine, I surprised myself, my family and friends by competing the second leg of the race on behalf of Stanley Kids Zone, fulfilling my aim of running the full leg without ever dropping down from a run to a walk. I feel proud to have participated in a historic event - the inaugural Stanley marathon, the world's most southerly long-distance race - and at the same time humbled when I compare my tiny personal achievement against the levels of fitness and stamina displayed by all those runners who completed the full course.

It was a wonderful, exhilarating event to be part of, and as a team runner (and one of the slower ones at that) I was surprised to find that on the day I didn't feel a second-class participant. The generosity of the faster runners returning down Sappers Hill expending their breath shouting encouragement at me to keep running up it was astonishing. I am grateful to all my family and friends, and especially my fellow runners on behalf of Stanley Kids Zone, for all their support.

The author is an overweight, desk-bound, 36-year-old mother-of-two who wages a constant battle against couch potato syndrome

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