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This year’s Butterfield Half has attracted a sell-out field of 700 people.
The race tomorrow morning is offering some intriguing match-ups at the front end where there is expected to be some impressive depth to the finishing times.
The race begins with the elite wheelchair class setting off at 08:55.
The mass field starts at 09:00.
The startline is alongside the shingle bank at L’Eree and the course goes up the west coast, along to the north of the island including the headland at Les Amarreurs, before going through the Bridge and into town where a new finish line has been established on the East Arm (North Beach).
Some of the best places to cheer the athletes on are at Vistas Cafe, the Grande Havre car park by Vale Church, Bordeaux where Samba Burros will be playing and at the finishing zone on the East Arm.
The men’s field is a tough race to call.
Some of the entrants with the best PBs are coming in on the back of interrupted training or building towards other races. Expect Rick Weston, James Priest, Sammy Galpin, Dan Galpin, Mike Batiste and Ethan Woodhead to feature strongly. Pete Amy is also making a remarkable comeback from surgery.
Nat Whitty is the form runner in the women’s race, where the leading places will also likely be contested by Ulrike Maisch, Abbie Swain, Vanessa King and Lindsay Sword.
The wheelchair contest could be settled somewhere around the hour mark, although it’s something of an unknown on this course.
The leading runners should come in from around 10:10.
The average time to complete a half across all ages and genders is one hour and 50 minutes.
It is going to be a busy day on the roads.
A one-way will be in operation near the start line as people prepare and officials will stop the traffic in both directions for the start itself.
The race is on open roads, so motorists are asked to take care. A one-way is in operation at Les Amarreurs while there are also traffic control and parking restrictions in place on the North Beach slip road and East Arm.
A military parade also means the seafront is closed.
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