Former winners still strongest at Guernsey's 'Granite Man'

Two former winners proved too tough to beat in the latest edition Guernsey Triathlon Club's biennial 'Granite Man' event.

Mat Dorrian and Magda Murphy were the first man and woman across the line in the half-ironman distance race, which takes athletes to the bottom of Guernsey's Les Vardes Quarry along the way.

Dorrian, who benefitted from a wrong turn from the frontrunners, retained his title in a time of four hours, 23 minutes and 35 seconds, ahead of Guernsey Island Games triathlete Dan Galpin and Jersey's Nick Thorne.

Mat Dorrian and Magda Murphy were the first man and woman across the line. Credit: ITV Channel TV

Local athlete Magda Murphy, another previous winner, took the women's title, finishing the 70.3 mile course in five hours, nine minutes, 48 seconds.

Tania Shires and Adele Perrot were the next women to finish with 108 athletes in total completing the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run in much better conditions than two years ago.

Meanwhile, in the sprint event - a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5k run - Alan Rowe, 53, won from 14-year-old Thierry Le Cheminant.

  • Watch: Tony Curr's report on the 2019 Granite Man Triathlon