New Women’s Record Set at Jersey Marathon

A new women’s course record has been set at the 20th Jersey Marathon, marking the first time the record has been broken in over a decade.

London runner Alice Braham, 49, completed the 26.2-mile course in two hours and 40 minutes, beating the previous women’s record by four minutes.

More than 2,000 runners took part in Sunday’s event, which began in St Helier and wound its way around the island under clear skies.

The overall race was won by Simon Kimtai Kwarat from Kenya, who crossed the line in two hours and 17 minutes — just one minute shy of the course record set last year.

Braham, a former Great Britain athlete and English national champion in cross country and the 3,000m, said she was thrilled with her result.“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “The scenery and atmosphere were fantastic. Age is just a number — I was surprised to find out last year that I ranked in the top five in the world for my age group.”

The top Channel Island finisher was Rick Weston from Guernsey, who clocked two hours and 31 minutes, shaving seven minutes off his previous Jersey Marathon time. “The wind was pretty tough, but I’m really pleased,” Weston said. “It’s special being part of the 20th year — just seeing people out exercising and taking part is fantastic.”

Francesca Monticelli, the fastest female runner from Jersey, finished in three hours and 11 minutes and praised the community spirit surrounding the event.“It’s absolutely incredible,” she said. “The volunteers, the supporters, everyone — it’s amazing how this event brings the island together.”