Round the Rock Marathon

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What: 26.2 mile Race

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Where – Starting at Les Fontaines, St John (CP2 of Ultra race), Jersey

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When: 3/8/24 9am Start

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Entry fee – £55

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Route Details Here

Round the Rock Marathon

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Jersey, with its unique charm, is renowned for more than its prized potatoes, Bergerac, and endearing cows. The Round The Rock Marathon is a race like no other that offers memories to treasure and an array of picturesque landscapes.

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Race Details:

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We offer an array of Solo, Relay, Ultra, and Half Marathon races. The Marathon starts at Les Fontaines and takes runners on a scenic 26.2-mile route along the coast of Jersey. Get ready to experience breath-taking views, encounter unique wildlife, and join a supportive community of passionate runners. Don’t let this unparalleled adventure pass you by – register today!

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Route Description:

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The journey for Marathon participants begins at the scenic Les Fontaines. The route leads runners along the spectacular granite cliffs of the North Coast, promising unmatched views of the wild beauty Jersey has to offer. The route then takes you to the warm, sun-kissed sands of St. Ouen’s Bay, further enhancing your marathon experience. As the race unfolds, runners get to witness the picturesque South Coast, with iconic views of St Brelaides and St Aubins before reaching the finish line. Brace yourself for an exciting challenge: the marathon covers 26.2 miles and includes stunning ascents and descents along the way! The route follows the same route as the Ultra Marathon, but at 26.2 miles is ideal for runners wanting to see what the business end of the Jersey north coast is like, whilst taking part in a more manageable, yet still stunning challenge.

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History and Future:

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Trail Monkey is thrilled to manage this signature Channel Isles race, following in the footsteps of Digby Ellis-Brecknell’s successful tenure. Having celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Ultra Marathon race in 2020, we are enthusiastic about the upcoming decade of this fantastic event, and we hope you’ll be a part of it!

The Round The Rock Marathon started in 2020 and has proven to be a favourite for many runners, looking to get involved in the Round the Rock event, but not yet quite ready to take on the full 48miles. Alot of the participants have returned year after year to immerse themselves in the warm atmosphere and challenging course, and some tackle the ultra marathon further down the road! It’s the ideal race for those looking to push their distance or prepare for a more extensive event.

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Are you ready to take on this invigorating challenge? Register now and bask in the beauty of Jersey’s coast!

Full Event and Kit Info here

Crucial Information Before You Register:

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Race Prerequisites:

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Bear in mind, Round the Rock Jersey is a formidable challenge, regardless of the race you choose. To register for the Marathon  participants must have experience of having run trail races and have taken part in a race of at least 1/2 marathon distance before. Whilst there are no formal cutoffs in place for the marathon, the ultra has a 12 hour cutoff, therefore marathon runners who are still on the course and look like they are unable to complete the course by 7pm will be pulled from the race at the organizers discretion, however bear in mind this does give you 10 hours to complete the race!

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The race organizer might request confirmation of your previous race details to ensure entrants understand the challenge. However, this is not to deter anyone from registering. Any questions about this please contact us

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Course Indicators:

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Please anticipate course markers to be primarily positioned at decision points where the route changes. This might mean several miles without any markers due to a straight path or road with no turnings off. It’s your responsibility to:

  • Keep an eye out for signage.
  • Be familiar with the course.
  • Have a GPS device with the course .gpx file (available to download at top of page)on it to help you navigate.

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Aid Stations:

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We offer food at aid stations as a supplement to your personal provisions. However, the food we supply is intended to top up your supplies and should not be your sole source of nutrition for the entire course. We will ensure an ample supply of water and sports drinks on the course and include extra hydration points if the weather is exceptionally hot.

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Mandatory Kitlist

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If you appear to not be carrying or equipped with any of the following at the start we will carry out a kit check. Anyone found not to be carrying or equipped with he following will be unable to start the race. By entering the race you agree to abide by these requirements (Kit list applies to all races within the event)

– Trail Shoes – Mandatory as the trails are slippery.

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-Sun Hat (or adequate head protection including a buff) – It gets hot in August!

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-Sunscreen – See above

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-A water receptacle (s) to carry at least 1 litre of water

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-A cup should you require coke at checkpoints or at race end. (we are a cup-less race at all points of the race)

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-Enough Calories to see you between each checkpoint

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-Charged Phone with my telephone number in – 07797827383 and what3wordsapp downloaded – please only use my phone number for emergencies and not for queries before the race. I will deal with all queries by email (paul@trailmonkeyjersey.com)

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-Spare layer in case of inclement weather, not so much to keep you warm whilst running, more if you get into any trouble and have to stop for any length of time you ahve something to put on to keep you warm.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I really need Trail Shoes? Yes, you do – the north coast is very technical and rocky in places and if it rains as it may do the rocks then become very slippery. Trail Shoes are the only suitable footwear for a race of this type – please purchase them and break them in in plenty of time for the race. The only exception to this is for the relay on leg one – leg one is on the road so runners running this leg only can wear road shoes. 

 

Am I allowed a crew or pacers? This is a solo challenge, we provide a drop-bag facility as well as food and rink at regular intervals. We can’t monitor every participant on the course, however if a runner is perceived to have received outside help then action may be taken in line with the event rules at the bottom of the page. 

 

Is there a drop bag facility? There are no drop bag facilities for marathon runners, however we will transport any bags from the start to the finish for you. 

 

Are all items on the mandatory kit list really needed? We prescribe these items as you are out on the course for a long time and the weather can change. If you fall over or get into difficulty whilst on the course, then warm clothing might be required. Even for runners taking part in the relay, marathon or half marathon events all runners will require mandatory kit items as the shortest leg of the relay is 10 miles, which if it’s a hot day or you get into bother is still a long way to run and our duty of care is to ensure that all runners are adequately equipped. Anyone who clearly appears to not be carrying the mandatory kit will be unable to start the race until they are able to show that they have the necessary kit – no exceptions.

 

Is the course marked?  Yes -The course is marked to ensure that at decision points along the course you will be told where to go, the general principle of these types of races is one of adventure so each explicit twist and turn will not be marked, however as long as you keep the sea on your right all the way round, follow footpaths unless indicated to do otherwise and pay attention to the signage on the course you will be fine. If you are in any doubt as to your ability to navigate the course, please do download the gps file (available on entry page) and utilise it to ensure your success on race day. If you are not prepared for the possibility of there not being signs at every twist and turn or dont use the gpx file if you are unfamiliar with the course then this may not be the race for you. 

 

How far apart are the aid stations? Water stations are approx 10 miles apart on this course: you are expected to carry water receptacles to carry enough water to sustain yourself between these stations and if it is a hot day whilst we will ensure we have sufficient water at the checkpoints to ensure your safety – it is your responsibility to carry enough water to hydrate yourself. We will also be going cupless, therefore if you wish to drink coke or squash at water checkpoints you will be required to carry your own re usable cup.

 

What foods and drinks are at Checkpoints? CP1 for the ultra is primarily water, at CP2, CP3 (First Marathon CP) and CP4 there will be supplies such as coke, sweets, fruit and some savoury food, however runners are expected to bring enough calories to support themselves, with the food at CP’s being supplementary to this. 

 

Are there any pre-requisites for this race? It is a requirement of entry that all entrants for the marathon event have completed a trail race, long distance walk or road race of at least 1/2 marathon distance. The race organiser may seek confirmation of your race information.

 

How far is the race?  The race is a 26.2 mile race, however the distance will definitely not be bang on this, so please mentally prepare yourself for this. If you run the beach rather than the road at St Ouen’s and St Brelaide’s  (tides allowing) you can make quite significant distance savings but it can get quite bumpy!!

 

How stringent are the cutoffs? There is no cutoff for the marathon as such. However we require all runners to be finished by the time the ultra cutoff has passed (7pm)

 

Why all these rules and requirements?  Every rule that is specified in our race info is there to either ensure the safety, the comfort of participants or to preserve the intended spirit of the race – each of the rules have usually been borne out of a situation that occurred previously and has been implemented to mitigate this. Essentially we are all adults and know right, wrong and the common sense way to do things -if we stick to these we won’t go far wrong! 

 

What weather can I expect? Because the race is in August, it will generally be expected that it will be warm – please train in anticipation of this and take all necessary precautions to ensure your comfort and safety on the day.

 

What if I have any medical conditions?  If you suffer from any medical conditions please ensure that you place a Red Cross on your race number before race day, and write your medical conditions on the back of the race number with a I.C.E. contact also.

 

What do I do in the event of an emergency?  If in case of an accident or a runner wishing to retire and no mobile signal being available: Either walk to the nearest checkpoint if it is safe to do so or ask a passing runner / walker / marshal to pass on details of incident and personal details to the nearest checkpoint. If you do retire from the race between checkpoints please contact race director as soon as possible to explain the situation, we do not want to be alerting emergency services when a runner is actually sitting in a pub. If you come across a runner who is injured or in distress, you must stop and see if you can assist, contact race director or inform marshals. There will be non competing runners on the course who will act as sweepers; they will be there to help.

 

What about hazards on the course? The route follows cliff paths and is hazardous in certain places. As organisers we will highlight potential hazards but you must be aware that there may be other hidden dangers. Do not attempt to overtake on narrow / dangerous sections, please wait until it is safe to do so and please allow faster runners to overtake when safe. If you do not feel that you can continue, please inform a marshal at the next check point /contact race director / inform other runners. Remember it may be hot or windy or wet… so please take care! 

 

Are there shuttle buses for the marathon? There is no shuttle bus for the marathon, we are a very small race and don’t have resources to facilitate this – see bus and taxi company details. 

 

More FAQ’s here